John B Anderson (general)

Early life and military career

John Benjamin Anderson was born on March 10, 1891 as a son of Danish immigrants, Carl Christian Anderson and his wife Louisa Simonsen Anderson. Anderson, aged 19, attended the United States Military Academy (USMA) at West Point, New York and graduated on June 12, 1914, shortly before World War I broke out in Europe. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant into the Field Artillery Branch of the United States Army on that date. Many of his classmates later became general officers during World War II. For example: Carl Andrew Spaatz, Brehon B. Somervell, Frank W. Milburn, Harold R. Bull, Vicente Lim, Harry C. Ingles, Jens A. Doe, Robert W. Crawford, Ralph Royce, Orlando Ward and James L. Bradley.

Anderson was subsequently assigned to the 6th Field Artillery Regiment and transferred to El Paso, Texas with his unit, where he served on the Mexican border during the Pancho Villa Expedition in 1916. He was there upon the American entry into World War I, which occurred on April 6, 1917, with the United States declaring war on Germany.

During the war, Anderson was sent, with the 6th Field Artillery Regiment, part of the newly created 1st Infantry Division, to the Western Front, where he served as a regimental adjutant in the Somme sector, scene of much bitter fighting the year before, in France in October and November 1917. In the spring of 1918, Anderson served with the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) at Ypres, Belgium and subsequently he was appointed adjutant of the 1st Artillery Brigade. Later, Anderson was transferred back to his 6th Artillery Regiment, where he served as battery commander and commanded a battalion of the 6th Field Artillery Regiment during the Battle of Cantigny. He served in this capacity for the remainder of the war, which came to an end with the signing of the Armistice with Germany on November 11, 1918.

Between the wars

After brief occupation duties, Anderson returned to the United States in 1919 and was posted to the Fort Sill, Oklahoma, where he was appointed instructor at the local U.S. Army Field Artillery School. He also attended the Advanced Course at this institution during the years 1922 and 1923.

Anderson attended the U.S. Army Command and General Staff School at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas in June 1925 and subsequently served as a battalion commander of the 24th Field Artillery Regiment at Fort Stotsenburg, Philippines until July 1927.

From September 1927 to June 1928 Anderson studied at the U.S. Army War College in Washington, D.C. and then he was assigned to the personal division of the War Department General Staff. In this capacity, he was sent to the Geneva, Switzerland in 1929 as one of the U.S. Army representatives to the conference regarding the treatment of prisoners of war.

He was transferred to the 13th Field Artillery Regiment stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina and served there until September 1934. He was subsequently appointed the instructor at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff School at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas and was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel in this capacity.

In July 1938, towards the end of the interwar period, Anderson was transferred to the staff of the Office of the Chief of Artillery in Washington, D.C., where he was appointed Chief of Personnel Section. In this capacity, Anderson was promoted to the one-star general officer rank of brigadier general at the end of October 1941, shortly before the United States entered World War II.

World War II

A month later, he was appointed Chief Artillery officer of the 2nd Infantry Division, which was stationed at Fort Sam Houston, Texas. The division was then under the command of Major General John C. H. Lee. On August 4, 1942, eighth months after the American entry into World War II, Anderson was promoted to the two-star general officer rank of major general.

On September 15, the 102nd Infantry Division was activated at Camp Maxey, Texas and recently promoted Major General John Anderson was appointed as the division's first Commanding General (CG). Anderson participated in the training with his division and served with it until December 1943, before handing over command of the 102nd to Major General Frank Keating.

In December 1943, the XVI Corps was activated at Fort Riley, Kansas and Anderson assumed command in early January 1944. XVI Corps participated in the winter training exercises at Watersmeet Township, Michigan and subsequently it was later deployed in the European Theater of Operations (ETO).

Anderson commanded the XVI Corps on the Western Front as part of the U.S. Ninth Army in the Rhineland Campaign and also in the Central Europe Campaign. XVI Corps under Anderson's command liberated the Dutch city of Roermond and participated in the combats in the Ruhr Pocket.

Anderson was decorated for his leadership with the Army Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit and Bronze Star by the United States government. Anderson also received some foreign decorations (see below).

Postwar

Anderson was succeeded in the command of XVI Corps by Major General Thomas D. Finley in October 1945 and he subsequently returned to the United States. He retired from the army the following year, on June 30, 1946, after a 33-year military career, due to a disability.

Anderson died on September 1, 1976, at the age of 85 in Washington, D.C. and is buried, together with his wife, Sue Palmer Anderson (1901–1991), at Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia.

Decorations

Anderson´s ribbon bar: