To the Family, Shipmates, and Friends of Christopher Eugene Baker, aka Chris to many, my name is Grant Roper, and I am one of Chris’ best childhood friends. I’m extremely proud of his accomplishments and to call him a friend.

I am starting this fundraiser to invite others to contribute to a surprise retirement gift for Chris. As we gather to celebrate his retirement, it would be memorable to surprise Chris with a special watch to commemorate this extremely important landmark in his life. As you may know, a luxury watch is a traditional gift upon one’s retirement, commemorating a retiree's hard work, dedication, and time given to their career. Surely we can all agree that Chris is the definition of this, and our nation owes a debt of gratitude to men and women like him that sacrifice for the country we are privileged to live in.

That being said, I would like to present to you all the idea/opportunity to contribute to this tradition in any way you feel comfortable, or not at all if you’d rather contribute in another way. Also, for those that do contribute I would welcome any feedback or ideas. Thank you all for taking the time to consider this, and I look forward to seeing and meeting everyone at Chris’ retirement, where we will present Chris with his gift.