World War II Honoree

Wilford C. Anderson

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

California

Honored By

Nolan L. Powell

TECHNICAL SERGEANT. THE PLATOON SERGEANT IN THE 3RD PLATOON OF C COMPANY, 517TH PARACHUTE REGIMENTAL COMBAT TEAM. CADRE WHEN THE UNIT WAS ACTIVATED IN MARCH 1943. THE SERGEANT WAS FIRST IN COMBAT NEAR GROSSETO, ITALY IN JUNE 1944. ON AUGUST 15, 1944, HE PARACHUTED INTO SOUTHERN FRANCE. THE FOLLOWING 90 DAYS THE UNIT WAS IN CONTINUOUS COMBAT ALONG THE FRENCH RIVIERA IN THE MARITIME ALPS FROM ST. RAPHAEL TO SOSPEL. HIS LAST COMBAT WAS IN ARDENNES FOREST IN BELGIUM IN THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE. THE COMBAT TEAM WAS COMMITTED ON DECEMBER 22, 1944 ON THE NORTHERN FLANK OF THE BULGE NEAR STAVELOT, BELGIUM. THEY WERE RELIEVED FROM COMBAT IN EARLY FEBRUARY 1945 NEAR BERGSTEIN, GERMANY. RECEIVED THE EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN CAMPAIGN MEDAL WITH 5 BRONZE STARS AND BRONZE ARROWHEAD, COMBAT INFANTRYMAN BADGE, BRONZE STAR MEDAL, DISTINGUISHED SERVICE MEDAL AND THE DISTINGUISHED SERVICE CROSS FOR THE FOLLOWING ACTION: CITATION FOR DISTINGUISHED SERVICE CROSS: COMPANY C, 517TH PARACHUTE INFANTRY, FOR EXTRAORDINARY HEROISM IN ACTION ON JUNE 18, 1944 NEAR GROSSETO, ITALY IN EXECUTING AN ATTACK ON STRONGLY FORTIFIED ENEMY POSITIONS, HIS COMPANY FOUND ITSELF DEPLOYED BY PLATOONS ALONG THE MILITARY CREST OF A RIDGE AND RECEIVING HEAVY SMALL ARMS AND MORTAR FIRE FROM THE FOOT OF THE HILL. ACCOMPANIED BY A PRIVATE, HE VOLUNTARILY MOVED FORWARD INTO ENEMY RESISTANCE 200 HUNDRED YARDS AHEAD OF HIS PLATOON, CAPTURED 5 GERMANS WHO WERE PART OF A MORTAR CREW, SILENCED A MACHINE GUN AND RETURNED TO THE LINES WITH THE PRISONERS. THOUGH MOMENTARILY PINNED DOWN BY MACHINE GUN FIRE, HE AND HIS COMPANION MOVED INTO ENEMY TERRITORY AGAIN AND ONCE MORE RETURNED WITH A GROUP OF PRISONERS. HE THEN PROCEEDED TO THE MACHINE GUN HE HAD PREVIOUSLY SILENCED AND OPENED FIRE ON A GROUP OF THE ENEMY, KILLING 6 WOUNDING 4 AND SILENCING ANOTHER ACTIVE MACHINE GUN. JOINING FORCES WITH THE PRIVATE ONCE MORE, HE AGAIN CRAWLED TO THE ENEMY LINES AND WITHDREW WITH 4 MORE PRISONERS WHEN FRIENDLY ARTILLERY FIRE MADE HIS POSITION UNTENABLE. BY HIS COURAGEOUS ACTS HE MADE POSSIBLE THE CAPTURE OF 19 GERMAN PRISONERS, THE KILLING AND WOUNDING OF 10 MORE AND ACTED AS AN INSPIRATION TO ALL THOSE WITH WHOM HE SERVED.