Brigadier General James Roy Andersen (May 10, 1904 – February 26, 1945) was a

United States Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

officer. He was declared killed in action after an aircraft accident on February 26, 1945 over the

Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...

Background

James Roy Andersen (1904–1945) at West Point in 1926

Andersen was born in Racine, Wisconsin, on May 10, 1904, the son of Niels and Inger (Klausen) Andersen. He graduated from Racine High School in 1922. Captain J

He graduated from the

United States Military Academy The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a fort, since it sits on strategic high groun ...

on the

Hudson River The Hudson River is a river that flows from north to south primarily through eastern New York. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York and flows southward through the Hudson Valley to the New York Harbor between N ...

West Point, New York West Point is the oldest continuously occupied military post in the United States. Located on the Hudson River in New York, West Point was identified by General George Washington as the most important strategic position in America during the Ame ...

on June 12, 1926, fourth in his class. Shortly after graduating, married his high school sweetheart, Esther Katherine Hau. He then joined the 2nd Infantry at Fort Sheridan Illinois for 2 years, then served 3 years at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii; 3 years at Aberdeen (Maryland) Proving Ground Command and Picatinny Arsenal, New Jersey; one year in Boston, and one year at Selfridge Field, Michigan, plus one year in San Antonio, Texas. He graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1934 with a Master of Science degree. He spent 6 years in the infantry and 3 years in ordinance before entering into flight school. In 1936, he was promoted to captain and obtained his wings at

Kelly Field Kelly Field (formerly Kelly Air Force Base) is a Joint-Use facility located in San Antonio, Texas. It was originally named after George E. M. Kelly, the first member of the U.S. military killed in the crash of an airplane he was piloting. In ...

, Texas and assigned to Hickam Field, Hawaii. During World War II, he returned to West Point as an instructor, with promotion to colonel by early 1943. During 1943-1944 he served on the

U.S. War Department The United States Department of War, also called the War Department (and occasionally War Office in the early years), was the United States Cabinet department originally responsible for the operation and maintenance of the United States Army, a ...

General Staff. In January 1945, Andersen was promoted to brigadier general and assigned to HQ AAF, Pacific Ocean Area.

Disappearance

Andersen is believed to have died on February 26, 1945 in an aircraft accident near

Kwajalein Island Kwajalein Atoll (; Marshallese: ) is part of the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI). The southernmost and largest island in the atoll is named Kwajalein Island, which its majority English-speaking residents (about 1,000 mostly U.S. civilia ...

. He and Lieutenant General Millard Harmon were traveling on Consolidated C-87A Liberator Express serial number ''41-24174'', which disappeared between

Kwajalein Kwajalein Atoll (; Marshallese: ) is part of the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI). The southernmost and largest island in the atoll is named Kwajalein Island, which its majority English-speaking residents (about 1,000 mostly U.S. civilia ...

and

Johnston Island Johnston Atoll is an unincorporated territory of the United States, currently administered by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). Johnston Atoll is a National Wildlife Refuge and part of the Pacific Remote Islands Marine Nation ...

while en route to

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...

. The pilot of the aircraft was F. E. Savage.

Legacy

Andersen Air Force Base Andersen Air Force Base (Andersen AFB, AAFB) is a United States Air Force base located primarily within the village of Yigo in the United States territory of Guam. The host unit at Andersen AFB is the 36th Wing (36 WG), assigned to the Pacific ...

in the United States territory of

Guam Guam (; ch, Guåhan ) is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. It is the westernmost point and territory of the United States (reckoned from the geographic cent ...

is named in his memory.

Career

Service

:1940-07-01 – 1942-XX-XX - Instructor at Department of Chemistry & Electricity, US Military Academy West Point :1942-03-XX – 1943-06-XX - Director of Training at the Army Air Force Basic Advanced Flying School :1943-06-XX – 1944-08-XX - Attached to Plans Division, War Department General Staff :1944-08-XX – 1945-02-26 - Chief of Staff, US Army Air Forces Pacific Ocean Areas :1945-02-26 – Lost an airplane crash at sea :1945-03-17 – Search abandoned :1946-02-27 – Declared dead

Promotions

:1942-01-05 Lieutenant-Colonel (Army of the United States) :1942-03-01 Colonel (Army of the United States) :1943-06-12 Major :1945-01-21 Brigadier-General (Army of the United States)

Awards and decorations

References

External links

Biography Page
{{DEFAULTSORT:Andersen, James Roy 1904 births 1940s missing person cases 1945 deaths Aerial disappearances of military personnel in action Military personnel from Wisconsin Missing in action of World War II Missing people Missing person cases in the United States People from Racine, Wisconsin People lost at sea United States Army Air Forces generals of World War II United States Army Air Forces generals United States Army Air Forces personnel killed in World War II Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in 1945