Brigadier General James Roy Andersen (May 10, 1904 – February 26, 1945) was a

United States Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

officer. He was declared killed in action after an aircraft accident on February 26, 1945, over the

Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five Borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is ...

Early life and education

Andersen was born in Racine, Wisconsin, on May 10, 1904, the son of Niels and Inger (Klausen) Andersen. He graduated from Racine High School in 1922. He graduated from the

United States Military Academy The United States Military Academy (USMA), commonly known as West Point, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York that educates cadets for service as Officer_(armed_forces)#United_States, comm ...

on the

Hudson River The Hudson River, historically the North River, is a river that flows from north to south largely through eastern New York (state), New York state. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains at Henderson Lake (New York), Henderson Lake in the ...

West Point, New York West Point is the oldest continuously occupied military post in the United States. Located on the Hudson River in New York (state), New York, General George Washington stationed his headquarters in West Point in the summer and fall of 1779 durin ...

, on June 12, 1926, fourth in his class. Shortly after graduating, married his high school sweetheart, Esther Katherine Hau. Together they had a son and a daughter; Jay and Nancy Jo. He had earned a Bachelor of Science from United States Military Academy, 1926; a Master of Science, Ordnance Technology School (United States Army), 1934; Graduated from Army Air Force Primary and Basic Flying School, 1936; Advanced Flying School, 1937; and Tactical School, 1940.

Military career

After graduating from West Point, he was assigned to the 2nd Infantry at Fort Sheridan Illinois for 2 years, then served 3 years at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii; 3 years at Aberdeen (Maryland) Proving Ground Command and Picatinny Arsenal, New Jersey; one year in Boston, and one year at Selfridge Field, Michigan, plus one year in San Antonio, Texas. He graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1934 with a Master of Science degree. He spent 6 years in the infantry and 3 years in ordnance before entering into flight school. In 1936, he was promoted to captain and obtained his wings at

Kelly Field Kelly Field (formerly Kelly Air Force Base) is a Joint-use airport, Joint-Use facility located in San Antonio, Texas. It was originally named after George E. M. Kelly, the first member of the U.S. military killed in the crash of an airplane he ...

, Texas and assigned to Hickam Field, Hawaii. During World War II, he returned to West Point as an instructor, with promotion to colonel by early 1943. During 1943-1944 he served on the

U.S. War Department The United States Department of War, also called the War Department (and occasionally War Office in the early years), was the United States Cabinet department originally responsible for the operation and maintenance of the United States Army, als ...

General Staff. In January 1945, Andersen was promoted to brigadier general and assigned to HQ AAF, Pacific Ocean Area. He was a rated air observer, air pilot, and senior air pilot.

Disappearance

Andersen is believed to have died on February 26, 1945, in an aircraft accident near

Kwajalein Island Kwajalein Atoll (; Marshallese language, Marshallese: ) is part of the Marshall Islands, Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI). The southernmost and largest island in the atoll is named Kwajalein Island, which its majority English-speaking re ...

. Traveling from Guam to a high-level conference in Washington, D.C., he and Lieutenant General

Millard Harmon Millard Fillmore Harmon Jr. (January 19, 1888 – February 26, 1945) was a lieutenant general in the United States Army Air Forces during the Pacific campaign in World War II. He was presumed to have perished in February 1945 on a flight when th ...

boarded the Consolidated C-87A Liberator Express serial number ''41-24174'', piloted by Major Francis Euel Savage. The aircraft landed safely at

Bucholz Army Airfield Bucholz Army Airfield is a United States Army airfield located on Kwajalein Atoll, Marshall Islands. Its position is ideal for refueling during trans-Pacific flights, and the airport is available to civilians through Air Marshall Islands and ...

to refuel, but disappeared after taking off between Kwajalein and

Johnston Island Johnston Atoll is an unincorporated territory of the United States, under the jurisdiction of the United States Air Force (USAF). The island is closed to public entry, and limited access for management needs is only granted by a letter of autho ...

, while en route to

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; ) is an island U.S. state, state of the United States, in the Pacific Ocean about southwest of the U.S. mainland. One of the two Non-contiguous United States, non-contiguous U.S. states (along with Alaska), it is the only sta ...

. Afterwards, the U.S. Navy (USN) was in charge of the search for the aircraft. Despite intensive searches by aircraft from both U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) and U.S. Navy (USN) aircraft plus surface vessels, no trace of the aircraft or anyone aboard was ever located. The entire crew was officially declared dead on February 26, 1945

Legacy

On Oct. 7, 1949, North Guam Air Force Base (in the United States territory of

Guam Guam ( ; ) is an island that is an Territories of the United States, organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. Guam's capital is Hagåtña, Guam, Hagåtña, and the most ...

) was renamed

Andersen Air Force Base Andersen Air Force Base (Andersen AFB, AAFB) is a United States Air Force base located primarily within the village of Yigo in the United States territory of Guam. The host unit at Andersen AFB is the 36th Wing (36 WG), assigned to the Pacif ...

in his memory. He has memorial markers in

Arlington National Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery is the largest cemetery in the United States National Cemetery System, one of two maintained by the United States Army. More than 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington County, Virginia. ...

, Brunswick Memorial Park, Brunswick, GA., and at the Tablets of the Missing at the

National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific The National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (informally known as Punchbowl Cemetery) is a national cemetery located at Punchbowl Crater in Honolulu, Hawaii. It serves as a memorial to honor those men and women who served in the United States ...

, in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Career

Service

:1940-07-01 – 1942-XX-XX - Instructor at Department of Chemistry & Electricity, US Military Academy West Point :1942-03-XX – 1943-06-XX - Director of Training at the Army Air Force Basic Advanced Flying School, West Point :1943-06-XX – 1944-08-XX - Attached to Plans Division, War Department General Staff, Hickum Air Field, Hawaii :1944-08-XX – 1945-02-26 - Chief of Staff, US Army Air Forces Pacific Ocean Areas, Harmon Field, Guam :1945-02-26 – Lost in an airplane crash at sea :1945-03-17 – Search abandoned :1946-02-27 – Declared dead

Promotions

:1926 – Second lieutenant (United States Army) :1936 – Captain (United States Army Air Corps (USAAC)) :1942-01-05 – Major (United States Army Air Forces (USAAF)) :1942-03-01 – Lieutenant Colonel (United States Army Air Forces (USAAF)) :1943-06-12 – Colonel (United States Army Air Forces (USAAF)) :1945-01-21 – Brigadier-General (United States Army Air Forces (USAAF))

Awards and decorations

References

External links

Biography Page
{{DEFAULTSORT:Andersen, James Roy 1904 births 1940s missing person cases 1945 deaths Aerial disappearances of military personnel in action Military personnel from Wisconsin Missing in action of World War II Missing American people Missing person cases in the United States People from Racine, Wisconsin People lost at sea United States Army Air Forces generals of World War II United States Army Air Forces generals United States Army Air Forces personnel killed in World War II Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in 1945 Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in the Marshall Islands