Bud Anderson

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Bud Anderson
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Anderson in 1944
NicknameTemplate:Pluralize from textBud
BornScript error: No such module "person date".
Oakland, California, U.S.
DiedScript error: No such module "person date".
Auburn, California, U.S.
Buried
Arlington National Cemetery
AllegianceUnited States
Branch
United States Army Air Forces
United States Air Force
Service years
1942–1972
Rank
Colonel (retirement rank – 1972)
Brigadier General (honorary promotion – 2022)
Unit357th Fighter Group
Commands69th Fighter-Bomber Squadron
18th Tactical Fighter Wing
355th Tactical Fighter Wing
Conflicts
World War II
Vietnam War
AwardsLegion of Merit (2)
Distinguished Flying Cross (5)
Bronze Star Medal
Air Medal (16)
SpouseTemplate:Pluralize from textPage Template:Marriage/styles.css has no content.
Eleanor Cosby
​
​
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Children2
Other workManager of the McDonnell Aircraft Company's Flight Test Facility at Edwards AFB (1972–1998)

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Clarence Emil "Bud" Anderson (January 13, 1922 – May 17, 2024) was an officer in the United States Air Force and a triple ace of World War II. During the war he was the highest scoring flying ace in his P-51 Mustang squadron.

Toward the end of Anderson's two combat tours in Europe in 1944 he was promoted to major at 22, a young age even for a highly effective officer in wartime. Afterward, he became a test pilot and a fighter squadron and wing commander, serving a combat tour in the Vietnam War.

Anderson retired as a full colonel in 1972, after which he worked in flight test management for McDonnell Douglas. A member of the National Aviation Hall of Fame, he continued to speak at aviation and military events well into his 90s. He received an honorary promotion to brigadier general in 2022.

Early life

Anderson was born on January 13, 1922, in Oakland, California, and raised on a farm near Newcastle, California.[1] He graduated from Placer Union High School in Auburn, California.[2] In high school, he played football and basketball. He was introduced to aviation at Oakland Municipal Airport. He was working at the Sacramento Air Depot during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.[3]

Military career

In January 1942, shortly after Japan attacked Pearl Harbor,[4] Anderson enlisted in the United States Army as an aviation cadet. He completed Primary Flight Training at Lindbergh Field, San Diego, and his Advanced Training at Luke Field, Arizona. He received his wings and commission as a second lieutenant in the United States Army Air Forces at Hamilton Field, California in September 1942.[5]

Anderson began flying Bell P-39 Airacobras with the 329th Fighter Squadron of the 328th Fighter Group at Hamilton Field and then at the Oakland Municipal Airport, from September 1942 to March 1943. He was later assigned to the 363rd Fighter Squadron of the 357th Fighter Group at Tonopah, Nevada, in March 1943, moving to various bases in California from May to October 1943, then at Casper, Wyoming, from October to November 1943, and finally deploying to England in November 1943.[6]

World War II

File:Bud Anderson with his P-51.jpg
Anderson onboard his P-51D-10-NA Mustang 'Old Crow'
File:357th-Ftr-Gp-Top-Acesjpg.jpg
The top scoring fighter aces of the 357th Fighter Group. L-R; Richard Peterson, Leonard Carson, John England, and Clarence Anderson.

The 357th Fighter Group was stationed at RAF Leiston. The group was equipped with the North American P-51 Mustang in January 1944. On 5 February he claimed a Messerschmitt Bf 109 that was attacking a straggling B-17 Flying Fortress north of Dessau damaged as his first aerial victory. On April 11, he claimed another Me 109 west of Hanover at 11:10 and second damaged 20 minutes later. On the same mission, he and two other members of his flight took turns in shooting down a Heinkel He 111 bomber that was landing at an airfield in Hanover, resulting in the bomber crashing; the three of them shared the aerial victory. Anderson shot down a Bf 109 over Frankfurt on May 12 for his fifth aerial victory, making him a flying ace. Before the end of May, he destroyed three more enemy aircraft.[6][7][8]

On June 29, Anderson led his fighter squadron on a bomber escort mission over Leipzig. Over the target, the squadron encountered eight Focke-Wulf Fw 190s attempting to attack the bomber formation. He shot down the lead Fw 190, then two more. In July, after scoring his twelfth aerial victory, he took leave and returned to the United States.[9][8][10]

That fall, Anderson returned to 357th Fighter Group and on November 27, shot down two Fw 190s over Magdeburg and forced another to crash land as he attempted to shoot it, crediting him with two aerial victories and one probable. On December 5, while leading a fighter escort of bombers over Berlin, the escort was attacked by a formation of 20 Fw 190s and in the dogfight, he shot down two, his final aerial victories.[11][6]

Anderson flew two tours of combat against the Luftwaffe in Europe while with the 363d Fighter Squadron of the 357th Fighter Group and was the group's third leading ace with Page Template:Fraction/styles.css has no content.16+1⁄4 aerial victories.[8] The others only flew one tour, so they had less time in the air. His first P-51 Mustang (P-51B-15-NA AAF Ser. No. 43-24823) and his second (P-51D-10-NA Mustang, AAF Ser. No. 44-14450 B6-S), both nicknamed Old Crow[12] (after the whiskey of the same name), carried him safely through 116 missions without being hit by fire from enemy aircraft and without Anderson ever having to turn back for any reason.[13]

Post-war

File:Bud Anderson test pilot.jpg
Anderson as a test pilot at Edwards AFB

Anderson returned to the U.S. in January 1945, serving at Perrin Field, Texas, until that October, when he was assigned as a recruiter in Ohio. He served as a test pilot at Wright Field from May 1948 to February 1953. During this time, he took part in the FICON project, a concept to increase the effective combat radius of jet fighters by attaching them to a propeller-driven bomber, one hooked up to each wingtip. The hope was that it would not only increase fuel efficiency and effective range, but also allow the bomber to carry its own fighter escort deep into enemy territory.[5][14][15]

Anderson attended Air Command and Staff College at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, from September 1954 to August 1955, and then was assigned as Director of Operations for the 58th Fighter-Bomber Wing at Osan Air Base, South Korea, from August 1955 to February 1956 and commander of the 69th Fighter-Bomber Squadron at Osan, from February to August 1956.[5]

Anderson continued as a test pilot and was assigned as Assistant Chief and then Chief of the Flight Test Operations Division at Edwards Air Force Base from November 1957 to August 1962. He attended the Army War College at Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania, from August 1962 to July 1963. From August 1965 to December 1967, he was stationed at Kadena Air Base in Okinawa where he served as deputy director, director of operations and commander of the 18th Tactical Fighter Wing.[5][10]

After serving another tour at the Air Force headquarters in the Pentagon until December 1969, Anderson commanded the 355th Tactical Fighter Wing, an F-105 Thunderchief unit, during its final months of service in the Vietnam War, from June to December 1970. Stationed at Takhli Royal Thai Air Force Base, he flew 25 missions in strikes against enemy supply lines and later was in charge of closing the base when 355th TFW was inactivated.[16][5][10][17]

Anderson retired as a colonel in March 1972. He was decorated 25 times for his service to the United States, during which he flew over 100 types of aircraft and logged over 7,000 hours. He was a close friend of Brigadier General Chuck Yeager during and after the end of World War II, where both served in the 357th Fighter Group.[18]

Personal life and death

File:Bud Anderson 2011.jpg
Anderson (seated second from the right) in 2011
File:Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. CQ. Brown, Jr. administers the reaffirmation of the oath of office to retired Brig. Gen. Clarence E. “Bud” Anderson, during a ceremony promoting Anderson to the rank of brigadier general (2022).jpg
Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force Charles Q. Brown Jr. administers the reaffirmation of the oath of office to Anderson, after promoting him to the honorary rank of brigadier general (2022)

Anderson married Eleanor Cosby, on February 23, 1945. She died on January 30, 2015, in Auburn, California, just four days before her 92nd birthday, and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.[19][20] They had two children.[21]

After his retirement from active duty as a colonel, Anderson became the manager of the McDonnell Aircraft Company's Flight Test Facility at Edwards AFB, serving there until 1998.[22] In 1990, he cowrote the book To Fly & Fight—Memoirs of a Triple Ace.[23]

In 2005, Anderson appeared on the pilot episode of the History Channel series Dogfights. The episode, "The Greatest Air Battles", features his May 27, 1944, mission, with Anderson recounting his experience.[24]

On July 19, 2008, Anderson was inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame.[25] In 2013, he was inducted into the International Air & Space Hall of Fame at the San Diego Air & Space Museum.[26] A life-size bronze statue of him was installed at the Auburn Municipal Airport.[27]

In 2015, he and other flying aces received the Congressional Gold Medal in recognition of "their heroic military service and defense of the country's freedom throughout the history of aviation warfare."[28]

Anderson turned 100 in January 2022.[29][30] His hometown Auburn honored him with a grand celebration.[31] He was the last living American triple flying ace of World War II.[32][33] On December 2, he was promoted to the honorary rank of brigadier general by General Charles Q. Brown Jr., the Air Force chief of staff at the Aerospace Museum of California.[34][35]

File:Full Military Funeral Honors with Escort for United States Air Force Colonel Clarence “Bud” Anderson in Section 38 of Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia on March 30, 2026 - 2.jpg
Anderson's funeral at Arlington National Cemetery (30 March 2026)

Anderson died in his sleep at his home in Auburn, California, on May 17, 2024, at the age of 102.[36][37] A life-sized bronze statue of Anderson, dressed in his leather flight helmet and goggles and wearing a parachute, was installed in Grass Valley, California about three months after his death.[38] On March 30, 2026, Anderson was buried with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery.[39]

Aerial victory credits

Date # Type Location Aircraft flown Unit Assigned
March 8, 1944 1 Messerschmitt Bf 109 Hanover, Germany P-51B 363 FS, 357 FG
April 11, 1944 1
0.25		 Bf 109
Heinkel He 111		 Hanover, Germany P-51B 363 FS, 357 FG
April 30, 1944 1 Focke-Wulf Fw 190 Orléans, France P-51B 363 FS, 357 FG
May 8, 1944 1 Fw 190 Soltau, Germany P-51B 363 FS, 357 FG
May 12, 1944 1 Bf 109 Frankfurt, Germany P-51B 363 FS, 357 FG
May 27, 1944 2 Bf 109 Strasbourg, France P-51B 363 FS, 357 FG
May 30, 1944 1 Bf 109 Schönebeck, Germany P-51B 363 FS, 357 FG
June 29, 1944 3 Fw 190 Leipzig, Germany P-51B 363 FS, 357 FG
July 7, 1944 1 Bf 109 Leipzig, Germany P-51B 363 FS, 357 FG
November 27, 1944 2 Fw 190 Magdeburg, Germany P-51D 363 FS, 357 FG
December 5, 1944 2 Fw 190 Berlin, Germany P-51D 363 FS, 357 FG
SOURCES: Air Force Historical Study 85: USAF Credits for the Destruction of Enemy Aircraft, World War II

Awards

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Anderson earned 25 awards, including:

File:COMMAND PILOT WINGS.png  Command pilot

Legion of Merit with one bronze oak leaf cluster[29]
Distinguished Flying Cross with four bronze oak leaf clusters[29]
File:Bronze Star ribbon.svg Bronze Star Medal[29]
Air Medal with three silver oak leaf clusters[29]
File:Air Force Commendation Medal ribbon.svg Air Force Commendation Medal[17]
File:AF Presidential Unit Citation Ribbon.png Air Force Presidential Unit Citation
File:Outstanding Unit ribbon.svg Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
File:American Campaign Medal ribbon.svg American Campaign Medal[40]
European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with four bronze service stars[40]
File:World War II Victory Medal ribbon.svg World War II Victory Medal[40]
National Defense Service Medal with one bronze service star[40]
Vietnam Service Medal with two service stars[41]
File:Korea Defense Service Medal ribbon.svg Korea Defense Service Medal[N 1]
Air Force Longevity Service Award with one silver and one bronze oak leaf clusters[40]
File:USAF Marksmanship ribbon.svg Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon
File:Legion Honneur Chevalier ribbon.svg Knight of the Legion of Honour (France)[43]
Croix de Guerre with silver star (France)[29]
File:Vietnam gallantry cross unit award-3d.svg Gallantry Cross unit citation with palm†
File:Vietnam Campaign Medal ribbon with 60- clasp.svg Vietnam Campaign Medal
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Bibliography

  • Anderson, Colonel Clarence "Bud" with Joseph P. Hamelin. To Fly and Fight, Memoirs of a Triple Ace, Pacifica Military History, Library of Congress. Template:ISBN

References

Notes

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  1. ^ As Anderson served in fighter units stationed in South Korea from 1955 to 1956, this award was retroactively awarded when it was created in 2004.[42]

Citations

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  1. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Biography". Bud Anderson: To Fly and Fight. Archived from the original on March 31, 2024. Retrieved January 11, 2024.
  2. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Reunion for 98-year-old WWII air aces, both 1939 Placer High grads". goldcountrymedia.com.
  3. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Biography". To Fly and Fight. Archived from the original on January 19, 2022. Retrieved January 20, 2022.
  4. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Clarence Emil Anderson Jr". American Air Museum in Britain. May 24, 2022. Retrieved May 20, 2024.
  5. ^ a b c d e Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Clarence E. "Bud" Anderson". Veteran Tributes. Archived from the original on January 5, 2022. Retrieved January 20, 2022.
  6. ^ a b c Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Bud Anderson – Triple Ace of 357th Fighter Group". Acepilots. Archived from the original on January 22, 2022. Retrieved January 20, 2022.
  7. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Chris Bucholtz (December 20, 2012). Mustang Aces of the 357th Fighter Group. Bloomsbury. p. 21. ISBN 9781846039867. Retrieved January 19, 2024.
  8. ^ a b c Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Air Force Historical Study 85: USAF Credits for the Destruction of Enemy Aircraft, World War II" (PDF). 1978. p. 12. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 19, 2021. Retrieved January 24, 2024.
  9. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Anderson, Clarence. "Combat Report (29 June 1944)". WWII Aircraft Performance. Archived from the original on September 4, 2022. Retrieved January 19, 2024.
  10. ^ a b c Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Tillman, Barrett (August 30, 2017). "America's Last Living Triple Ace". History. Archived from the original on January 30, 2024. Retrieved January 30, 2024.
  11. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Anderson, Clarence. "Combat Report (5 December 1944)". WWII Aircraft Performance. Archived from the original on September 4, 2022. Retrieved January 20, 2024.
  12. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."P-51 Mustang "Old Crow" World War 2 artwork". toflyandfight.com. July 11, 1944. Archived from the original on January 19, 2022. Retrieved January 20, 2022.
  13. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Resolution: Adopt and present a Resolution to Clarence Emil "Bud" Anderson for his outstanding service to his country and his community". Board of Supervisors, County of Placer. October 9, 2012. Archived from the original on January 20, 2024. Retrieved January 20, 2024.
  14. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Mark Wolverton (December 2017). "Project Tip-Tow". History Net. Archived from the original on January 5, 2022. Retrieved January 20, 2022.
  15. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Caught by the Wing Tip". To Fly and Fight. Archived from the original on January 5, 2022. Retrieved January 20, 2022.
  16. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Bud Anderson – FU Hero". Fighter Pilot University. October 16, 2009. Archived from the original on January 9, 2022. Retrieved January 20, 2022.
  17. ^ a b c d Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Tirpak, John (May 20, 2024). "Bud Anderson, WWII Triple Ace and Air Force Test Pilot, Dies at 102". Air & Space Forces Magazine.
  18. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Brigadier General C.E. "Bud" Anderson World War II Triple Ace Fighter Pilot". Aerospace Museum of California. December 21, 2022. Archived from the original on December 6, 2023. Retrieved January 22, 2024.
  19. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Eleanor Cosby Anderson 1923–2015 – Obituary – Auburn, CA | Auburn Journal". Legacy.com. Archived from the original on January 6, 2022. Retrieved January 20, 2022.
  20. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Burial detail: Anderson, Eleanor Cosby". Arlington National Cemetery. Retrieved June 2, 2024.
  21. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Chan, Amy (August 30, 2017). "America's Last Living Triple Fighter Ace". HistoryNet.
  22. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."The 10th Annual 'Taste Of Flight' Gala, An Incredible Evening with Bud Anderson" (PDF). planesoffame.org. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 9, 2022. Retrieved January 20, 2022.
  23. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Anderson, Jim (August 7, 2017). To Fly and Fight: Memoirs of a Triple Ace Paperback – August 7, 2017. Author Solutions Incorporated. ISBN 978-1543414714.
  24. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."The Greatest Air Battles". Dogfights. Episode Television pilot. September 16, 2005. History Channel.
  25. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Anderson, Clarence E. "Bud"". nationalaviation.org. 2008. Archived from the original on January 5, 2022. Retrieved January 20, 2022.
  26. ^ Sprekelmeyer, Linda, editor. These We Honor: The International Aerospace Hall of Fame. Donning Co. Publishers, 2006. Template:ISBN.
  27. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Allen, Mark S. (November 10, 2023). "General 'Bud' Anderson, one of the most decorated fighter pilots, reflects on service". ABC10. Archived from the original on November 14, 2023. Retrieved May 18, 2024.
  28. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."American Fighter Aces Receive Congressional Gold Medal". U.S. Mint. May 25, 2015. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
  29. ^ a b c d e f Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Jefimova, Elizabeth (January 13, 2022). Adams, Katherine; MacSweeney, Erica (eds.). "#VeteranOfTheDay Air Force Veteran Clarence "Bud" Anderson". blogs.va.gov. Archived from the original on January 25, 2022. Retrieved January 20, 2022.
  30. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Col. Clarence E. "Bud" Anderson Celebrates his 100th Birthday Today!". warbirdsnews.com. January 13, 2022. Archived from the original on January 15, 2022. Retrieved January 20, 2022.
  31. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Happy Birthday, Bud! Auburn celebrates as World War II Triple Ace pilot Anderson turns 100". goldcountrymedia.com. Retrieved January 20, 2022.
  32. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Col. Bud Anderson: Gunning for 100!". Flight Journal. November 17, 2021. Archived from the original on October 30, 2022. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
  33. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."S5 Ep07 Bud Anderson: WW2 Triple Ace Fighter Pilot – Your History Your Story". iHeart. April 18, 2022. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
  34. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Novelly, Thomas. "100-Year-Old Flying Ace is Promoted to Honorary Brigadier General by Air Force Chief". Military.com. Archived from the original on December 3, 2022. Retrieved December 3, 2022.
  35. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Congressmen LaMalfa and McClintock Celebrate Promotion of Colonel Bud Anderson to Brigadier General in U.S. Air Force". House.gov. December 2, 2022. Archived from the original on December 3, 2022. Retrieved December 3, 2022.
  36. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Goldstein, Richard (May 18, 2024). "Bud Anderson, Last of World War II's 'Triple Ace' Pilots, Dies at 102". The New York Times. Retrieved May 18, 2024.
  37. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."WWII Triple Ace Brigadier General Clarence E. "Bud" Anderson Passing". Vintage Aviation News. May 18, 2024.
  38. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Boll-See, Marianne (July 20, 2024). "'This guy broke the mold': Free community celebration and unveiling ceremony honoring Triple Ace pilot 'Bud' Anderson". The Union. Grass Valley, California. Retrieved January 11, 2025.
  39. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Gordon, Chris (March 31, 2026). "Nation's Top Airmen Honor Bud Anderson as Legendary WWII Triple Ace Buried at Arlington". Air & Space Forces Magazine. Retrieved April 11, 2026.
  40. ^ a b c d e Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Clarence Emil Anderson | American Air Museum".
  41. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Anderson, Clarence E. "Bud"". veterantributes.org.
  42. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Korean Defense Service Medal". Air Force Personnel Center. Retrieved May 30, 2024.
  43. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Legion Of Honor Award". chuckyeager.com. July 18, 2003. Archived from the original on January 9, 2022. Retrieved January 20, 2022.
  44. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."HONOREES 1993". Aerospace Walk of Honor. November 17, 2004. Archived from the original (by web.archive.org, the Wayback Machine) on November 17, 2004. Retrieved May 21, 2024.
  45. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."The Aero Club Of Northern California". www.aeroclubnocal.org. Retrieved May 21, 2024.

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