CW3 Anderson was born in Bloomington, Minnesota on 19 Sep 1954. He received his Associate’s Degree in Aeronautical Engineering from Embry-Riddle University in 1988. His first assignment as a pilot was with Delta Company, 158th Aviation Battalion at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. In October, 1981, he was assigned to Charlie Company, 101st Aviation Battalion, becoming one of the first Night Stalker companies. He became one of the youngest Flight Leads in the history of the Task Force. While he served as one of the Task Force’s Air Movement Control Officers, he introduced numerous aircraft modifications and load out techniques that has given this unit its unprecedented deployment capabilities. He was competent, aggressive, confident, loyal, and original.
He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for his extraordinary heroism on 21 February, 1991 while serving as the Flight Lead of an MH-60L Blackhawk helicopter during Operation Desert Storm in Southwest Asia. Responding to a request for an urgent medical evacuation deep in enemy territory under zero illumination, he flew his aircraft at an extremely low altitude to evade the air defense artillery threat. In spite of dense fog, which he could not increase altitude to avoid and against which his night vision equipment was useless, he continued his mission by relying on his experience using navigational instruments and extracted a badly wounded soldier. While returning to the medical facility, he encountered a sandstorm and lost visual reference with the ground. His aircraft, #251, crashed and he selflessly gave his life for his country.
He is survived by his wife, Anne, sons, Eric and Kyle, and his daughter Megan..
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