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The Making of An
American Soldier
Courtesy of the United States Army Reserve Readiness Center
At the time of his
enlistment, Beauford T. Anderson was a lifelong Wisconsin resident. He
was born in Eagle River, Wisconsin, on 6 July 1922, and joined the Army
at Soldiers Grove, Wisconsin, in 1942. Anderson was assigned to the
newly-activated 96th Infantry Division, which was ordered into active
military service on August 15, 1942. Anderson trained with the 96th at
Camp Adair, Oregon. Later during training, the Division was
headquartered at Camp Beale, California. Hans Kaufman knew Beauford
Anderson well during the months of training. He said of Anderson, "He
was always teaching us something-- teaching us to survive, and teaching
us to be better soldiers." Looking out for his buddies, both in
training and in combat, just seemed a natural style for Anderson.
The 96th Infantry
Division finally completed preparation and went to war, embarking for
the Pacific Theater during July of 1944. At first, the division
practiced amphibious landings at Maui, in Hawaii. A few months later,
in October, the men of the 96th hit the beaches at Leyte as part of the
effort to retake the Philippines. During the fighting on Leyte, the 96th
Division saw plenty of action-- almost too much. The division killed
some 7,700 enemy soldiers and accomplished every mission assigned to
them. The cost was 1,800 battle casualties and another 2,500 killed
or injured due to illness or accidental injury.
During the fighting
at Leyte, Staff Sergeant Beauford Anderson -- then Sergeant Anderson--
performed an act of valor that resulted in a Bronze Star. The citation
reads, in part, "Anderson crossed fifty yards of terrain under
enemy observation and intense fire and rescued two wounded men from the
scene of action, removing them to an area of comparative safety where he
administered first aid until litter bearers arrived."
The account of
Anderson's heroism on Okinawa has already been given in detail, and will
not be repeated here. But even though the war ended for Anderson when he
received his combat injury, his contribution to the U.S. Army did not
end in the Pacific. About that, more later.
On Memorial Day of
1946 the former Technical Sergeant Beauford T. Anderson, now a civilian,
received the Medal of Honor from President Harry Truman. The ceremony
was on the White House grounds, and Mr. Anderson was in the company of
four other Medal-of-Honor recipients. Mr. Anderson was the first member
of his regiment to receive the Medal of Honor. He was one of two
members of the 96th Infantry Division to receive the Medal of Honor as
a result of the fighting for Kakazu on Okinawa. All told, five members
of the 96th Division received the Medal of Honor for combat in the
Pacific. Only two of these men -- Beauford Anderson and
Clarance Craft
-- survived the war.
Upon first returning
home after the war, Beauford Anderson lived for a while in Beloit, WI,
then moved to Mackinaw Island, Michigan. He finally relocated to
Seaside California, where in later years he served a term as mayor.
During his years in California, B.T. Anderson, now a Warrant Officer,
continued to serve his country in the U.S. Army Reserve. It is
a testimony to the modesty of Anderson that very few people in Seaside
were aware that he had received the Medal of Honor. He was simply too
modest to mention it.
Staff Sergeant
Beauford Anderson typifies the spirit of most soldiers of the 96th
Infantry Division, who generally were not career soldiers, but rather,
enlistees or draftees. They were taken from all walks of life, and they
were handed a mission that demanded bitter sacrifice. These men took on
and executed that mission with nobility of spirit. At Okinawa, the 96th
Division's greatest challenge, the combined battle fatalities of the
Army, Marines, and Navy totaled 14,005, with another 32,500 wounded. A
significant percentage of these casualties were incurred by the men of
the 96th, the division which was in the center of the attacking line
during the bitter early weeks of the drive south. The 96th incurred the
worst casualties of any division that fought on Okinawa.
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