World War II Honoree

Eugene H. Anderson

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Pawnee County, Oklahoma

Honored By

Robert S. Cox

ENLISTED IN MILITARY SERVICE ON SEPTEMBER 16, 1941. TRAINED IN THE AMERICAN THEATER AT FORT SILL AT LAWTON, OKLAHOMA; CAMP BARKELEY AT ABILENE, TEXAS; AND FORT DEVENS AT AYER, MASSACHUSETTS. ENTERED AIR SERVICE AT WESTOVER FIELD AT CHICOPEE FALLS, MASSACHUSETTS AND TRAINED AT SANTA ANA ARMY AIR BASE, CALIFORNIA, OXMUND, AND BUCKLEY FIELD AT DENVER, COLORADO. HIS GROUP MOVED TO CHELVESTON, ENGLAND IN AUGUST, 1942, AND WAS ASSIGNED TO THE 8TH AIR FORCE. HE SERVED OVERSEAS IN THE EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN (EAME) THEATER, INCLUDING IN NORTH AFRICA AND ITALY, AS A B-17 ‘FLYING FORTRESS’ WAIST GUNNER WITH THE 32ND BOMBARDMENT SQUADRON (HEAVY), 301ST BOMBARDMENT GROUP (HEAVY). PARTICIPATED IN THE AIR COMBAT-EAME THEATER, AIR OFFENSIVE-EUROPE, TUNISIA, SICILY, NAPLES-FOGGIA, ANZIO, ROME-ARNO, NORMANDY, AND NORTHERN FRANCE CAMPAIGNS. HIS UNIT BEGAN COMBAT IN SEPTEMBER, 1942 AND ATTACKED SUBMARINE PENS, AIRFIELDS, RAILROADS, BRIDGES, AND OTHER TARGETS ON THE CONTINENT, PRIMARILY IN FRANCE. IT OPERATED WITH THE 12TH AIR FORCE AFTER MOVING TO NORTH AFRICA IN NOVEMBER, 1942. STATIONED AT TAFARAOUI, MAISON BLANCHE, BISKRA, AIN M’LILA, AND ST-DONAT IN ALGERIA FROM NOVEMBER, 1942 TO AUGUST, 1943. ON AUGUST 6, 1943 HIS UNIT RELOCATED TO OUDNA, TUNISIA. IT BOMBED DOCKS, SHIPPING FACILITIES, AIRFIELDS, AND RAILROAD YARDS IN TUNISIA, SICILY, AND SARDINIA, AND ATTACKED ENEMY SHIPPING BETWEEN TUNISIA AND SICILY. THE GROUP RECEIVED A DISTINGUISHED UNIT CITATION (DUC) FOR ACTION ON APRIL 6, 1943 WHEN ITS FORMATION WITHSTOOD INTENSE ANTIAIRCRAFT FIRE FROM SHORE DEFENSES AND NEARBY VESSELS TO ATTACK A CONVOY OF MERCHANT SHIPS OFF BIZERTE AND THUS DESTROY SUPPLIES ESSENTIAL TO THE AXIS DEFENSE OF TUNISIA. IT ASSAULTED GUN POSITIONS ON PANTELLERIA, SICILY DURING MAY-JUNE, 1943, AND FLEW NUMEROUS MISSIONS TO ITALY FROM JULY-OCTOBER, 1943. THE GROUP WAS ASSIGNED TO THE 15TH AIR FORCE IN NOVEMBER, 1943, MOVED TO CERIGNOLA, ITALY IN DECEMBER, 1943 AND TO LUCERA ON FEBRUARY 1, 1944. HIS GROUP FLEW MOST OF ITS ATTACKS AGAINST SUCH STRATEGIC TARGETS AS OIL CENTERS, COMMUNICATIONS FACILITIES, AND INDUSTRIAL AREAS IN ITALY, FRANCE, GERMANY, POLAND, CZECHOSLOVAKIA, AUSTRIA, AND HUNGARY. THE GROUP RECEIVED ANOTHER DUC FOR A MISSION TO GERMANY ON FEBRUARY 25, 1944 WHEN, IN SPITE OF VICIOUS ENCOUNTERS WITH ENEMY FIGHTERS, THE GROUP BOMBED AIRCRAFT PRODUCTION CENTERS AT REGENSBURG. OTHER OPERATIONS DURING 1944 INCLUDED FLYING MISSIONS IN SUPPORT OF GROUND FORCES IN THE ANZIO AND CASSINO, ITALY AREAS. ON JULY 26, 1944, HIS AIRCRAFT, TAIL NO. 44-6168, WAS ON A BOMBING MISSION TO WEINER NEUDORF, AUSTRIA WHEN THE FORMATION WAS ATTACKED BY GERMAN FIGHTER PLANES, INITIALLY BEGINNING SOME 60 MILES SOUTHWEST OF VIENNA, AUSTRIA. ACCORDING TO EYEWITNESS ACCOUNTS, HIS AIRCRAFT WAS SHOT FULL OF HOLES, CAUGHT FIRE AND WAS OUT OF CONTROL AS IT CRASHED TO THE GROUND NEAR STRALLEGG, AUSTRIA. STAFF SERGEANT ANDERSON WAS INITIALLY LISTED AS MISSING IN ACTION BUT HIS STATUS WAS LATER CHANGED TO KILLED IN ACTION AFTER A FINDING OF DEATH. TWO FELLOW CREWMEN WERE ABLE TO BAIL OUT OF THE AIRCRAFT AND SURVIVED THE WAR. POSTHUMOUSLY AWARDED THE PURPLE HEART, AIR MEDAL, GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL, AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN CAMPAIGN MEDAL WITH 1 SILVER AND 4 BRONZE SERVICE STARS, AND WWII VICTORY MEDAL. AUTHORIZED THE PRESIDENTIAL (DISTINGUISHED) UNIT CITATION WITH 1 BRONZE OAK LEAF CLUSTER FOR EXTRAORDINARY HEROISM IN ACTION BY HIS GROUP OFF BIZERTE, TUNISIA AND AGAIN OVER REGENSBURG, GERMANY.