Charles Calder Anderson Jr. was the son of Charles Anderson (1916-2002) and Neta Gunderson Anderson. He entered West Point after one year at Olympic Junior College in Washington State. In 1960 while at Army Orientation Training with the 82d Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, he met Cecilia Keist, the daughter of Colonel Franklin and Neva Keist on a blind date at an Officers Club dance. They married on June 9, 1962, three days after graduation. He received his commission in the Airborne Artillery and requested assignment to Fort Bragg following Airborne training, Ranger School and the Basic Course at Fort Sill. In 1964, he was selected as an aide to General John Seitz, commanding general of the XVIII Airborne Corps Artillery. Following the Advanced Course, he received orders to Vietnam to join the 3rd Battalion (Airborne), 319th Field Artillery, which was the first United States Artillery unit engaged in combat in Southeast Asia in direct support of the 173rd Airborne Brigade. His wife and two infant sons moved to Bremerton, Washington to be close to his paternal grandparents, Charles and Nella Anderson. In February 1967, he led his unit in the only combat jump made by United States forces in Vietnam which was the first United States combat parachute assault since the Korean War. The drop zone was three kilometers north of Katum and about 60 miles northwest of Saigon. His mission was to lead his unit in support of the 2d Battalion, 503rd Infantry and other elements of the 173rd Brigade on D-Day of operation Junction City. The battery provided direct artillery support for search and destroy operations conducted by maneuver elements in the vicinity of Katum. In March 1967, he joined his wife for R&R in Hawaii in early March 1967. He returned to his command for Phase II of the operation. The 173rd was attached to the Big Red One on March 20, 1967 with the mission of conducting airmobile assaults into eastern War Zone C. Two days later, the 173rd established Fire Support Patrol Base Parry near Route 244. It was that operation in which he was killed by friendly fire from another United States Artillery unit. His wife donated his black star sapphire class ring to the Academy collection.
Source: United States Military Academy Association of Graduates memorial.
Charles Calder Anderson Jr. was the son of Charles Anderson (1916-2002) and Neta Gunderson Anderson. He entered West Point after one year at Olympic Junior College in Washington State. In 1960 while at Army Orientation Training with the 82d Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, he met Cecilia Keist, the daughter of Colonel Franklin and Neva Keist on a blind date at an Officers Club dance. They married on June 9, 1962, three days after graduation. He received his commission in the Airborne Artillery and requested assignment to Fort Bragg following Airborne training, Ranger School and the Basic Course at Fort Sill. In 1964, he was selected as an aide to General John Seitz, commanding general of the XVIII Airborne Corps Artillery. Following the Advanced Course, he received orders to Vietnam to join the 3rd Battalion (Airborne), 319th Field Artillery, which was the first United States Artillery unit engaged in combat in Southeast Asia in direct support of the 173rd Airborne Brigade. His wife and two infant sons moved to Bremerton, Washington to be close to his paternal grandparents, Charles and Nella Anderson. In February 1967, he led his unit in the only combat jump made by United States forces in Vietnam which was the first United States combat parachute assault since the Korean War. The drop zone was three kilometers north of Katum and about 60 miles northwest of Saigon. His mission was to lead his unit in support of the 2d Battalion, 503rd Infantry and other elements of the 173rd Brigade on D-Day of operation Junction City. The battery provided direct artillery support for search and destroy operations conducted by maneuver elements in the vicinity of Katum. In March 1967, he joined his wife for R&R in Hawaii in early March 1967. He returned to his command for Phase II of the operation. The 173rd was attached to the Big Red One on March 20, 1967 with the mission of conducting airmobile assaults into eastern War Zone C. Two days later, the 173rd established Fire Support Patrol Base Parry near Route 244. It was that operation in which he was killed by friendly fire from another United States Artillery unit. His wife donated his black star sapphire class ring to the Academy collection.
Source: United States Military Academy Association of Graduates memorial.
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