World War II Honoree

Robert James Anderson

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Euclid, Ohio

Honored By

Sam E. Pennartz

ASSIGNED TO THE CENTRAL PACIFIC THEATRE OF OPERATIONS, 20TH AIR FORCE, XXI BOMBER COMMAND, 73RD BOMB WING, 497TH BOMBARDMENT GROUP (VERY HEAVY), 871ST BOMB SQUADRON, STATIONED AT ISELY FIELD ON SAIPAN IN THE MARIANA ISLANDS. ON 18 APRIL 1945, HE FLEW IN THE LEFT SEAT AS THE AIRPLANE COMMAND PILOT ABOARD A BOEING B-29 SUPERFORTRESS NICKNAMED 'GONNA MAK'ER' (SERIAL #42-65231) TAIL CODE A-SQUARE-51. IT WAS ONE OF 112 AIRCRAFT LAUNCHED IN A MULTI-GROUP FORMATION TO BOMBARD THE TACHIARAI ARMY AIRFIELD ON JAPAN'S SOUTHERNMOST MAIN ISLAND OF KYUSHU. WHILE OVER THE TARGET AREA, THE JAPANESE PILOT OF A KI-45 TORYU TWIN-ENGINE FIGHTER PLANE, WHICH HAD ALREADY BEEN HIT BY MACHINE GUN FIRE, FLEW HEAD-LONG INTO HIS B-29, BREAKING OFF THE BOMBER’S RIGHT WING, # 4 ENGINE, AND THE TAIL SECTION. HIS AIRCRAFT DISINTEGRATED IN MID-AIR AND ALL CREWMEMBERS WERE KILLED.