Richard B. Anderson
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Richard Beatty Anderson (June 26, 1921 – February 1, 1944) was a
United States Marine The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...
who sacrificed his life during World War II and received the Medal of Honor posthumously for his heroism.


Biography

Anderson was born in Tacoma, Washington on June 26, 1921, and was raised in
Agnew, Washington Agnew is an unincorporated community in Clallam County, Washington, United States. It lies on a backroad leading to Port Angeles and just outside Sequim. Agnew is a primarily rural residential area located along the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Agn ...
. He attended Macleay School in Agnew before graduating from Sequim High School in the nearby city of
Sequim Sequim ( ) is a city in Clallam County, Washington, United States. It is located along the Dungeness River near the base of the Olympic Mountains. The 2010 census counted a population of 6,606. Sequim lies within the rain shadow of the Olympic M ...
. He entered the Marine Corps on July 6, 1942, in Oakland, California, receiving his recruit training at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, California. Private Anderson then joined the Marine Barracks, Naval Receiving Station in San Diego in October 1942. Promoted to private first class on April 12, 1943, he was ordered to the Infantry Battalion, Training Center, Camp Elliott, San Diego, shortly afterwards. He next joined his last unit, Company E,
2nd Battalion, 23rd Marines 2nd Battalion, 23rd Marines (2/23) is a reserve infantry battalion in the United States Marine Corps located throughout the Western United States consisting of approximately 1000 Marines and Sailors. They fall under the command of the 23rd Marin ...
, and with his unit he departed from the United States in January 1944. The following month he participated in the invasion of Roi Island, the first pre-war Japanese territory to fall to US Forces. PFC Anderson, a member of the invasion force, was hunting enemy
sniper A sniper is a military/paramilitary marksman who engages targets from positions of concealment or at distances exceeding the target's detection capabilities. Snipers generally have specialized training and are equipped with high-precision r ...
s. He hurled himself on a live
grenade A grenade is an explosive weapon typically thrown by hand (also called hand grenade), but can also refer to a shell (explosive projectile) shot from the muzzle of a rifle (as a rifle grenade) or a grenade launcher. A modern hand grenade genera ...
in a shell hole to save the lives of three comrades, though he knew death for himself was almost certain. Anderson was evacuated to a ship, where he died of his wounds on February 1, 1944. He is buried at Lot #5 Block C Section 1 #182 at the New Tacoma Cemetery, 9212 Chambers Creek Road West, Tacoma, Washington. He posthumously received the Medal of Honor — the nation's highest military decoration — and the Purple Heart.


Awards and honors


Decorations


Medal of Honor citation

The President of the United States takes pride in presenting the MEDAL OF HONOR posthumously to for service as set forth in the following CITATION: :For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving with the Fourth Marine Division during action against enemy Japanese forces on Roi Island,
Kwajalein Atoll 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 ...
, Marshall Islands, February 1, 1944. Entering a shell crater occupied by three other Marines, Private First Class Anderson was preparing to throw a grenade at an enemy position when it slipped from his hands and rolled toward the men at the bottom of the hole. With insufficient time to retrieve the armed weapon and throw it, Private First Class Anderson fearlessly chose to sacrifice himself and save his companions by hurling his body upon the grenade and taking the full impact of the explosion. His personal valor and exceptional spirit of loyalty in the face of almost certain death were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country. /S/ FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT


Posthumous honors

In 1945, the United States Navy
destroyer In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, manoeuvrable, long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against powerful short range attackers. They were originally developed in ...
was named in honor of Medal of Honor recipient Anderson."Anderson", ''Dictionary of American Fighting Ships''. The
Port Angeles Port Angeles ( ) is a city and county seat of Clallam County, Washington, United States. With a population of 19,960 as of the 2020 census, it is the largest city in the county. The population was estimated at 20,134 in 2021. The city's har ...
Federal Building was renamed the Richard B. Anderson Federal Building in his honor on September 2, 2008. During the renaming ceremony, a letter written by Harry Pearce was read; Pearce was one of the three men that Anderson had saved.


See also

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List of Medal of Honor recipients for World War II This is a list of Medal of Honor recipients for World War II. The Medal of Honor was created during the American Civil War and is the highest military decoration presented by the United States government to a member of its armed forces. The recip ...


Notes


References

: * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Anderson, Richard Beatty 1921 births 1944 deaths United States Marine Corps Medal of Honor recipients United States Marines United States Marine Corps personnel killed in World War II People from Clallam County, Washington World War II recipients of the Medal of Honor Military personnel from Tacoma, Washington Deaths by hand grenade