World War II Honoree
World War II Veteran
John Dickson Anderson III
Branch of Service
U.S. Army
Hometown
Butler, Pennsylvania
Honored By
Son
PURPLE HEART AND 2 BRONZE STARS. HE RECEIVED BASIC TRAINING AT CAMP CROFT IN SPARTANBURG, SOUTH CAROLINA; THEN WENT TO RHODE ISLAND STATE COLLEGE IN KINGSTON, RHODE ISLAND FOR 6 MONTHS OF COLLEGE ASTP (ARMY SPECIALIZED TRAINING PROGRAM). AFTER A BRIEF PERIOD WITH THE 78TH INFANTRY, HE JOINED THE 1ST ARMY, VII TH CORPS, 9TH DIVISION, 39TH REGIMENT. ON OCTOBER 4, 1944, THEY WERE IN GERMANY ALONG THE SIEGFRIED LINE NEAR SAMMERSDORF, AT THE EDGE OF THE HUERTGEN FOREST. HE WAS IN THE 1ST BATTALION, COMPANY C, 1ST SQUAD. THE BATTLE FOR THE HUERTGEN FOREST HAD JUST BEGUN. HIS UNIT CAPTURED NUMEROUS PILLBOXES, THEN THE TOWN OF GERMETER. THEY WERE PUSHED OUT OF THE TOWN BY SS TROOPS THE NEXT DAY, AND THE REMNANTS OF HIS COMPANY AND ONE OTHER COMPANY WERE AMBUSHED THE DAY AFTER THAT. AT THIS POINT ONLY ABOUT 1,000 MEN REMAINED IN THE 39TH REGIMENT. THE ORIGINAL FORCE NUMBERED 3,000. THE FIGHTING CONTINUED IN THIS FASHION FOR ABOUT THREE WEEKS, AND ARTILLERY FROM BOTH SIDES SHELLED THE AREA CONTINUOUSLY. REPLACEMENTS CAME IN AND THE WOUNDED WENT OUT ALMOST DAILY. THEY WERE ULTIMATELY RELIEVED BY UNITS OF THE 28TH INFANTRY DIVISION, AND ON OCTOBER 28 THEY REORGANIZED AT A REST AREA AT KALTERHERBERG, NEAR ELSINBORN. THEY CONTINUED TO ATTACK THROUGH THE HURTGEN FOREST UNTIL THE WEEK BEFORE CHRISTMAS, WHEN THE BATTLE OF THE ARDENNES (BATTLE OF THE BULGE, DECEMBER 16, 1944 TO JANUARY 16, 1945) BEGAN. HE WAS INVOLVED IN TEN TO FIFTEEN 'FIRE FIGHTS' DURING THIS PERIOD, AND LATER HIS OUTFIT RESTED IN A QUIET AREA NEAR KRINKELT ON ELSINBORN RIDGE DURING THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE, AND SAW NO ACTION. AFTER THE BULGE, THEY WENT BACK UP TO THE MERODE AREA, ON THE EDGE OF THE COLOGNE PLAIN, AND MADE A NUMBER OF ATTACKS IN THE GEMUND FOREST. THEY CAPTURED SEVERAL VILLAGES IN NIGHT ATTACKS. THE TOWNS WERE MONSHAU, HOFEN, DRIEBORN AND HEBON, ALL IN GERMANY. HE WAS WOUNDED ON FEBRUARY 28 NEAR NIDDEGAN ON THE COLOGNE PLAIN AT THE END OF FEBRUARY, 1945. THE ARMY AWARDED HIM THE PURPLE HEART AND TWO BRONZE STARS FOR HIS CONTRIBUTIONS.