WWII triple-ace fighter pilot legend Col Bud Anderson (ret.) has passed away. He was 102 years young.
“On 17 May 2024 at 5:29pm, Anderson passed away in his home peacefully in his sleep surround by his family,” said his family in a statement. “We were blessed to have him as our father. Dad lived an amazing life and was loved by many.”
Anderson shot down 16 Nazi Luftwaffe
He and his “Yoxford Boys” with the 357th Fighter Group, 363rd Fighter Squadron (8th Air Force) based at Leiston Field, UK made quick work of German Luftwaffe. They shot down 600 between 1943 and 1945, producing more than 40 flying aces.
With his Mustang “Old Crow”, Anderson served in 2 major combat tours. He flew 116 combat missions in Europe, shooting down 16 adversaries. Chuck Yeager even flew with Anderson.
“It was a wonderful airplane,” Anderson said of the iconic P-51. “It probably saved the air war in Europe and affected the European war in a major respect.”
Jimmy Doolittle was Anderson’s hero
Anderson said legendary Gen. James “Jimmy” Doolittle was his hero, for letting American fighter pilots pursue attacking Luftwaffe.
“He was my hero,” Anderson said. “Doolittle came in and turned things around and let the fighter pilots fight and, as a matter of fact, that allowed us to defeat the Luftwaffe. He said go for ’em, leave the bombers and destroy them anyway you can. We gained air superiority by killing their fighter pilots.”
Bud was in D-Day
“I wish they would have given us GPS’s during World War II,” said Anderson. “Flying with 32 other planes at the same time, in the dark on D-Day was terrifying.”
“It was the longest mission that I had ever flown,” recalled Anderson. “We took off on an early, dark morning. I remember logging over 6 hours that day. We were on patrol behind the lines to be there at daylight. It was intense, to say the least; however, I was not scared.”
“D-Day was such a turning point and significant event in American history,” Anderson said. “The fact that I participated in defeating the opposition so that the invasion could happen is very important to American history. However, I believe that it was also a double-edged sword. Although we defeated a large number of the enemy, we suffered tremendous loss. We must continue making it a priority to honor those who did not make it back to their country.”
Anderson earned many awards and decorations
Col Anderson earned numerous decorations in his 30-year career. They include 2 Legion of Merits, 5 Distinguished Flying Crosses, the Bronze Star, 16 Air Medals, the French Legion of Honor & the French Croix de Guerre. In 2015, he was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, with all the American Fighter Aces.
In 2017, Bud was inducted into the EAA Warbirds of America Hall of Fame and awarded the Air Force Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
Other highlights of his career include duty as commander of an F-86 fighter squadron in post-war Korea, and commander of an F-105 tactical fighter wing on Okinawa. He also served on 2 Pentagon assignments.
After retiring from active duty, he worked at the F-15 test facility at Edwards AFB. Anderson joined McDonnell Aircraft, where he worked for 12 years as an assistant manager and then manager of the company’s flight test facility.
Anderson was inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame in 2008. Anderson was promoted to the honorary rank of brigadier general in 2022 by USAF Chief of Staff.
He was inducted into the San Diego Air and Space Museum’s International Air and Space Hall of Fame in 2013.
You can see the P-51 that flies as a tribute to Anderson
Mr. Jack Roush restored a P-51 Mustang to look exactly as the one Bud flew during WWII, “Old Crow”.
“To all the young people that have the ambition to join the Air Force,” Anderson said, “have at it! You can be what you want to be and you should know that when you like what you do, you can excel, be a better person at your job to do it better.”
Over his life, Anderson logged over 7,500 flight hours, in more than 130 types of aircraft.
Perhaps, Anderson and his late friend, Chuck Yeager, are now flying formation together again.
