World War II Honoree
World War II Veteran
Clarence Emil 'Bud' Anderson
Branch of Service
U.S. Army Air Force
Hometown
Oakland, California
Honored By
Pearl Thomas
In January 1942, he enlisted as an aviation cadet and received his wings in September 1942. He was assigned to the 363rd Fighter Squadron of the 357th Fighter Group, 8th Air Force stationed at Royal Air Force Leiston, England. He was a triple ace credited with 16.25 victories in aerial combat and was the highest scoring flying ace in his P-51 Mustang Squadron. After two combat tours in Europe escorting heavy bombers and flying 116 missions he was promoted to major at age 22. Received two Legions of Merit, five Distinguished Flying Crosses, 16 Air Medals, the Bronze Star, the French Croix de Guerre, and the Congressional Gold Medal in 2015.