World War II Honoree

Robert W. Anderson

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Newark, New Jersey

Honored By

The Anderson Family

ON AUGUST 4, 1943 ROBERT ENTERED ACTIVE SERVICE WITH THE UNITED STATES ARMY AIR CORPS. AFTER COMPLETING BASIC TRAINING, ROBERT ATTENDED AIRCREW TRAINING AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA, RENO. ROBERT COMPLETED A COURSE OF INSTRUCTION IN AIRPLANE ARMORER (B-25, B-26, SPECIALIZED) AT THE AIR FORCES TECHNICAL SCHOOL ON JULY 3, 1944. ROBERT THEN COMPLETED A COURSE OF INSTRUCTION IN REMOTE CONTROL TURRET PRE-GUNNERY AT THE AIR FORCES TECHNICAL SCHOOL ON SEPTEMBER 24, 1944. BY FEBRUARY OF 1945, ROBERT HAD BEEN PROMOTED TO CORPORAL AND REPORTED TO THE 2ND AIR FORCE, 16TH WING, 234TH ARMY AIR FORCE BASE UNIT TRAINING SQUADRON (VERY HEAVY) AT CLOVIS, NEW MEXICO FOR TRAINING IN THE B-29 F-13A SUPER FORTRESS. IN ADDITION TO B-29 AND F-13A, ROBERT ALSO FLEW IN THE F-9, A RECONNAISSANCE VERSION OF THE B-17. IN MAY OF 1945, ROBERT WAS PROMOTED TO SERGEANT. AFTER TRAINING, AND BETWEEN FEBRUARY 1945 AND SEPTEMBER 1945, ROBERT FLEW MAPPING MISSIONS FROM 234TH ARMY AIR FORCE BASE UNIT. HE FLEW AS AN AERIAL GUNNER ABOARD AN F-13A NAMED 'GETTIN' READY. ON SEPTEMBER 28, 1945, ROBERT WAS TRANSFERRED TO THE 8TH AIR FORCE, 316TH BOMB WING, 1ST PHOTOGRAPHIC RECONNAISANCE SQUADRON. HE TRAVELLED TO OKINAWA AND FLEW HIS FIRST MISSION ON OCTOBER 11, 1945 AS THE CENTRAL FIRE CONTROL GUNNER. REMAINED ON OKINAWA UNTIL FEBRUARY 25, 1946 WHEN HE RETURNED STATESIDE, ARRIVING ON MARCH 9, 1946. HE PROCEEDED TO FORT DIX IN NEW JERSEY WHERE HE WAS GIVEN AN HONORABLE DISCHARGE AND SEPARATION ON MARCH 17, 1946. ROBERT WAS AWARDED THE AMERICAN THEATER CAMPAIGN MEDAL, ASIATIC-PACIFIC CAMPAIGN MEDAL WITH CLASP AND THE WORLD WAR II VICTORY MEDAL. ADDITIONALLY, DURING HIS WWII SERVICE HE EARNED A SHARPSHOOTER QUALIFICATION FOR CARBINE, AND A MARKSMAN QUALIFICATION FOR PISTOL.