Clarence Anderson

Clarence Emil "Bud" Anderson was born on January 13, 1922, in Oakland, California, and was raised on a farm near Newcastle, CA. In high school, he played football and basketball.

He was introduced to aviation at Oakland Municipal Airport and was working at the Sacramento Air Depot when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. In January 1942, Anderson enlisted in the United States Army as an aviation cadet. He completed primary flight training at Lindbergh Field in San Diego and advanced training at Luke Field, Arizona.

Anderson received his wings and commission as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army Air Forces at Hamilton Field, CA, in September 1942. He began flying at numerous airfields throughout the United States and was deployed to England in November 1943.

Anderson flew with the 357th Fighter Group in a P-51 Mustang, flying his first mission on February 5, 1944. On March 3, 1944, he shot down his first Messerschmitt Bf 109. He continued to score aerial victories, achieving his fifth when he downed another Bf 109 over Frankfurt—making him a flying ace.

His final confirmed victories came on December 4, 1944, when he shot down two Fw 190s over Berlin. Anderson completed two tours of combat against the Luftwaffe in Europe and became the group’s third leading ace, with 16¼ aerial victories. Remarkably, he flew 116 missions without being hit by enemy aircraft fire or having to turn back for any reason. His P-51 Mustang was nicknamed "Old Crow."

After the war, Anderson married and had two children. On December 2, 2022, Bud was given an honorary promotion to Brigadier General at the Aerospace Museum of California.

Courtesy of Wikipedia and ToFlyandFight.com