Anderson, Francis Coleman, LT

Fallen

TWS Ribbon Bar

Service Photo

Service Details

Last Rank
Lieutenant

Last Primary NEC
131X-Unrestricted Line Officer - Pilot

Last Rating/NEC Group
Line Officer

Primary Unit
1952-1953, 131X, USS Kearsarge (CV-33)

Service Years
1942 - 1953

Last Photo

Personal Details

Home State

South Dakota

Year of Birth
1923

This Military Service Page was created/owned by Tommy Burgdorf (Birddog), FC2 to remember Anderson, Francis Coleman, LT.

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Casualty Info

Home Town Sisseton	Last Address Not Specified

Casualty Date Jan 28, 1953
Cause Hostile, Died while Missing	Reason Air Loss, Crash - Sea
Location Korea, North	Conflict Korean War
Location of Interment Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial - Honolulu, Hawaii	Wall/Plot Coordinates Court 8 (Cenotaph)

Official Badges

Unofficial Badges

Military Associations and Other Affiliations


	2015, Korean War Fallen
	2015, United States Navy Memorial - Assoc. Page
	2015, The National Gold Star Family Registry

Ribbon Bar

Unit Assignments/ Advancement Schools

Commander Navy Reserve Forces Command (COMNAVRESFORCOM)


	1945-1951, 131X, Naval Reserve Personnel Command (NRPC)
	1952-1953, 131X, VC-35 Night Hecklers
	1952-1953, 131X, USS Kearsarge (CV-33)

Combat and Non-Combat Operations


	1952-1953 Korean War

Colleges Attended



	1939-1941, South Dakota State University
	1941-1942, University of Iowa

Additional Information

Last Known Activity
Francis Coleman Anderson was born on May 2, 1923 to Arthur “Doc” and Esther Victoria (Palm) Anderson. He was raised and educated in Sisseton, where he attended high school. He later graduated from “State College with an engineer degree” and reportedly attended the University of Iowa and then the Iowa City Navy Pilot Program. At some point he worked for the US Corps of Engineers in Alaska.

Lt. Francis Anderson served in WW II, enlisting on October 30, 1942, and after the war was inactivated to Naval Reserve. He was recalled to active service on April 15, 1951, and was assigned duty as a fighter pilot who flew an AD-4N Skyraider night bomber with Detachment F, Composite Squadron 35, aboard the USS Kearsarge. He had reportedly been in combat for five months before his disappearance. A declassified report was obtained and contained the following information about the fate of Lt. Francis Anderson:

On January 8, 1953, the USS Kearsarge and its air group left the Hong Kong harbor and were underway to Korea and started combat air operations on January 21. On January 29, 1953, during a “night heckler mission” Lt. Francis Coleman Anderson and a crewman were declared missing in action. Although there was a “comprehensive search,” no information was revealed about their fates.

Lt. Francis Anderson was presumed dead and a death date was set on June 14, 1954; his body was never recovered.

Comments/Citation
Not Specified