Private First Class James Anderson Jr., A Marine's Story
Private First Class James Anderson Jr., A Marine's Story
Private First Class James Anderson Jr. was born on August 22, 1947, in Los Angeles, California. He attended Los Angeles Harbor College for over a year before deciding to enlist in the United States Marine Corps, a commitment that would define his legacy.
He deployed to Vietnam in December 1966 with Company F, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines, 3rd Marine Division.
On February 28, 1967, during Operation Prairie, his unit was engaged in intense combat near Cam Lộ in Quảng Trị Province. As Marines maneuvered under heavy enemy fire, an enemy grenade landed among his fellow Marines.
Without hesitation, and with full awareness of the cost, Private First Class Anderson threw himself onto the grenade, absorbing the blast with his body. He was killed instantly. His actions saved the lives of the Marines around him.
For his extraordinary heroism and self-sacrifice above and beyond the call of duty, Private First Class James Anderson Jr. was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. He became the first African American Marine to receive the Medal of Honor for actions in the Vietnam War.
He rests at Lincoln Memorial Park in Carson, California. Private First Class James Anderson Jr. was nineteen years old.
His courage was measured not in years lived, but in the deliberate choice he made in a single irreversible moment, to shield others.
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About the Author
a.d. elliott is a wanderer, photographer, and storyteller traveling through life
She shares her journeys at Take the Back Roads, explores new reads at Rite of Fancy, and highlights U.S. military biographies at Everyday Patriot.
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