Earl E. Anderson

Earl E. Anderson
General Earl E. Anderson, USMC
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	United States Marine Corps
Years of service	1940-1975
Rank	General
Commands	VMO-6 Marine Aircraft Group 26 Marine Aircraft Group 36 Assistant Commandant (1972-1975)
Battles/wars	World War II Korean War Vietnam War
Awards	Distinguished Service Medal Legion of Merit with Combat "V" (3) Distinguished Flying Cross (2) Bronze Star with Combat "V" Purple Heart Air Medal
Other work	1960 U.S. Olympic Committee, Board of Directors

General Earl E. Anderson (born June 24, 1919, in Morgantown, West Virginia), the youngest active duty Marine ever promoted to the rank of General and the first active duty Marine Naval Aviator to be promoted to a 4-star rank, became Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps on April 1, 1972. He was promoted to General on March 31, 1972.

During his 35-year Marine career he has served in combat actions in World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War.

Training and teaching

General Anderson entered West Virginia University, and graduated in 1940 after earning a bachelor of science degree. In June 1940, he was commissioned a Marine second lieutenant and reported to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. for Basic School.

Upon graduation from Basic School, in February 1941, he was ordered to Sea School, Marine Barracks, Portsmouth, Virginia, where he served as an instructor. He remained in that assignment until May, when he received assignment to the USS Yorktown (CV-5), which was operating with the Atlantic Patrol.

World War II

With the outbreak of World War II, General Anderson and the Yorktown were transferred to the Pacific where they participated in the Gilbert and Marshall Islands campaign, the Salamaua-Lae campaign, and the Battles of the Coral Sea and Midway. He was serving on the Yorktown when it was sunk during the Battle of Midway. During this period of time he was promoted to first lieutenant in December 1941 and captain in May 1942.

Following his rescue from the Yorktown, Captain Anderson returned to the United States where he served briefly with Marine Corps Base San Diego, CA, and then with the 2nd Marine Division.

He was ordered to flight training at Naval Air Station Dallas, Texas, in the spring of 1943. He was promoted to major in May 1943, and was awarded the gold wings of a naval aviator at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida, in October 1943. His next assignment was as a flight instructor at Marine Corps Air Station Edenton, North Carolina. He remained there until December 1944, when he returned to duty in the Pacific Area and assumed command of Marine Bomber Squadron 443. He later served as the executive officer of Marine Aircraft Group 61 (MAG-61) in the consolidation of the Northern Solomons and the recapture of the Philippines.

Post World War II

In November 1945, General Anderson returned to the U.S. and served in a wide variety of post-war assignments including as a student at the Command and Staff School, Marine Corps Schools (MCS), Quantico, Virginia; Administration Officer, Division of Aviation, HQMC, and as the Administration Assistant to the Assistant Commandant for Air, HQMC.

He was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel in July 1949, and assigned to the Office of the Judge Advocate General, where he served in various branches while a post-graduate student at The George Washington University Law School.

In the summer of 1952, General Anderson was next ordered to Aircraft, Fleet Marine Force Pacific, where he served as the Executive Officer for Marine Aircraft Group 16 until the spring of 1953 when he was ordered to Korea.

In Korea, General Anderson was the Commanding Officer, Marine Observation Squadron 6, and later became the Assistant Chief of Staff G-I, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing. Upon his return to the U.S. he was assigned as the Executive Officer and then Commanding Officer of Marine Aircraft Group 26.

During May 1956, General Anderson was assigned to MCS, Quantico, Va., where he served first as an instructor, then Chief of the Air Section, Marine Corps Educational Center.

He was promoted to Colonel in October 1957, and during the summer of 1959, was ordered to the Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania He graduated in June of 1960, and was ordered to the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing where he served as the Staff Legal Officer until July 1961. He then assumed command of Marine Aircraft Group 36, Santa Ana, Calif., where his group participated in more than 13 separate amphibious and field exercises.

In June 1963 he became Chief of Staff, Military Assistance Advisory Group (MAAG), Vietnam and served in that capacity until the summer of 1964, when he returned to the U.S. For his service with the MAAG, he was awarded a Legion of Merit, and gold stars in lieu of his 7th and 8th Air Medals.

In the late summer of 1964, General Anderson became the first Program Coordinator for the Marine Tactical Data System, the largest R&D effort in USMC history. He was promoted to Brigadier General on January 3, 1966, and in February he assumed duty as Deputy Chief of Staff (RD&S), HQMC, the first aviator to be assigned that position. He also continued as the Marine Corps Tactical Data System Program Coordinator. For that duty he was awarded a gold star in lieu of a 2nd Legion of Merit.

In December 1967, he returned to the Far East where he assumed duty as the Chief of Staff III Marine Amphibious Force - Republic of Vietnam. He held that assignment until January 1969 and for his service was awarded a Distinguished Service Medal. He also was awarded a National Order of Vietnam (5th Class), the Vietnamese Army Distinguished Service Medal, a Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with Palm, and a Korean Chungmu Medal. While serving in Vietnam he was promoted to Major General on September 1, 1968.

Upon his return to the U.S. he reported to HQMC where he served briefly as Special Assistant to the Chief of Staff. In March 1969, he was reassigned as Deputy Director, Personnel HQMC and the Head of the Personnel Department, the first aviator to be assigned to those billets.

In 1970 he was appointed as the USMC member on the Board of Directors of the United States Olympic Committee, and in March 1971, was designated by the Secretary of Defense as the U.S. member of the Executive Committee of the Counsel International du Sports Militaire. In 1974 he was elected by the General Assembly to be the first Vice President. He served as President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Armed Forces Relief and Benefit Association from 1972 to 1975.

He was promoted to Lieutenant General in June 1971, and assumed duty as Commanding General FMFLant, Norfolk, Virginia in July 1971.

Public life

In addition to his bachelor of science and master of arts degrees, General Anderson is also the recipient of a Juris Doctor: degree in law with highest honors from George Washington University Law School. While attending, he won the first Law Review competition for writing the best law review article among second year students. In his final year, he served as editor in chief of the GWU Law Review and was elected to the Order of the Coif. In November 1974, General Anderson received the highest honor the GWU Law Association can bestow. He received the Association's Distinguished Alumnus Award. He is also the recipient of Honorary Doctors of Law degrees from Thiel College and West Virginia University. He is a member of West Virginia University's Academy of Distinguished Alumni and the Order of Vandalia.

He is a member of the Bar of the State of California and the District of Columbia, and is entitled to practice before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia and the U.S. Supreme Court.

General Anderson is also a member of the State of California and the District of Columbia Bar Associations, and the American Bar Association.

In 1973, the State of West Virginia chose General Anderson as the Son of the Year. He served on the Executive Council of the West Virginia University Alumni Council from 1971 to 1978, and was President of the Association from 1976 to 1977. He was also the President of the Leatherneck Association.

Awards and decorations

General Anderson's awards include:

• Distinguished Service Medal with two gold stars in lieu of three awards
• Legion of Merit with Combat "V" and two gold stars
• Distinguished Flying Cross with one gold star in lieu of second award
• Bronze Star with Combat "V"
• Air Medal with one silver star and two gold stars in lieu of eight awards
• Purple Heart
• Presidential Unit Citation with one bronze star
• Navy Unit Commendation with one bronze star
• American Defense Service Medal with "A" Device
• American Campaign Medal
• Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal with four bronze campaign stars
• World War II Victory Medal
• National Defense Service Medal with one bronze star
• Korean Service Medal with one bronze star
• Vietnam Service Medal with one silver and one bronze star to denote six campaigns

Foreign awards

His foreign decorations include:

• National Order of Vietnam (5th Class)
• Vietnam Distinguished Service Order (1st Class)
• Korean Presidential Unit Citation
• Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation with Palm
• Philippine Liberation Medal
• United Nations Service Medal
• Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal with 1960 Bar
• Republic of Korea Bronze Order of Military Merit (Chungmu Medal)
• French Youth and Sports Medal
• Zaire National Order of Merit (Order of Commander)

See also

• List of Korean War veterans who are recipients of the Bronze Star

References

• "General Earl E. Anderson, USMC (Retired)". Who's Who in Marine Corps History. History Division, United States Marine Corps. Retrieved 2007-09-05. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |note= ignored (help)