World War II Honoree

Clifford J. Anderson

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

New Rochelle, New York

Honored By

Sam E. Pennartz

ENLISTED IN THE ARMY AIR CORPS ON 13 MAY 1942 AT FORT JAY ON GOVERNORS ISLAND IN NEW YORK HARBOR. UNDERWENT B-29 AIRCRAFT OPERATIONAL TRAINING AT SMOKY HILL ARMY AIR FIELD NEAR SALINA, KANSAS. DEPLOYED TO THE CHINA-BURMA-INDIA THEATRE AS PART OF 20TH AIR FORCE OPERATION MATTERHORN TO BOMB JAPAN USING STAGING BASES AROUND THE CHENGDU AIRDROME COMPLEX IN CHINA. SUBSEQUENTLY RE-DEPLOYED TO THE CENTRAL PACIFIC THEATRE OF OPERATIONS AND WAS ASSIGNED TO XXI BOMBER COMMAND, 58TH BOMB WING, 444TH BOMBARDMENT GROUP, 676TH BOMB SQUADRON STATIONED AT WEST FIELD ON TINIAN IN THE MARIANA ISLANDS. ON 1 JUNE 1945, HE FLEW IN THE LEFT SEAT AS THE AIRPLANE COMMAND PILOT ABOARD A BOEING B-29 SUPERFORTRESS NICKNAMED 'SUPER MOUSE' (SERIAL # 42-24524). IT WAS ONE OF 458 AIRCRAFT LAUNCHED IN A MULTI-WING MULTI-GROUP FORMATION TO BOMBARD THE URBAN MANUFACTURING AREA AT OSAKA ON THE ISLAND OF HONSHU, JAPAN. ON THE WAY TO THE TARGET, THE GROUP FORMATION WAS ATTACKED BY JAPANESE FIGHTER PLANES. HIS B-29 WAS ATTACKED BY A SINGLE-ENGINE FIGHTER WHICH DAMAGED THE FORWARD COMPARTMENT INSTRUMENT PANELS AND CAUSED LOSS OF CABIN PRESSURIZATION. THE AIRCRAFT STAYED IN FORMATION, BUT AFTER THE BOMB RUN; IT WAS NOTED THAT THE FUEL GAGES, TACHOMETERS, COMPASS, RADAR, AND UPPER FORWARD GUN TURRET WERE ALL INOPERATIVE; WITH HYDRAULIC FLUID LEAKING ONTO THE FLOOR. HE WAS KILLED, WHEN THE AIRCRAFT WENT INTO A VIOLENT LEFT BANK AND EXPLODED INTO A FIREBALL, APPROXIMATELY 117 NAUTICAL MILES SOUTH OF OSAKA BAY.