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First Name
Gareth
Middle Name
L.
Last Name
Anderson
Birthdate
Hometown
Kane, Pennsylvania
Rank
Lieutenant Commander
Service Branch
Navy
Date Captured
Date Repatriated
Pre Capture Image
PreCapture Description
Gary Anderson was born on July 28, 1942, in Kane, Pennsylvania. He entered Naval Pre-Flight Training on July 31, 1963, and was commissioned an Ensign and designated a Naval Flight Officer on May 22, 1964. After completing Replacement Air Group training, Anderson served as an F-4 Phantom II Radar Intercept Officer with VF-33 before joining VF-114 and deploying to Southeast Asia in October 1966. He and his pilot were credited with destroying a MiG-17 over North Vietnam on April 24, 1967, while flying off of the aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63). Lieutenant Junior Grade Anderson was forced to eject over North Vietnam and was taken as a Prisoner of War when his aircraft was hit by a surface-to-air missile on May 19, 1967.
Post Release Image
Post Release Description
Lieutenant Commander Anderson was released during Operation Homecoming on March 4, 1973. He was briefly hospitalized to recover from his injuries and then entered flight training at NAS Pensacola, Florida, in October 1973. Anderson was designated a Naval Aviator in May 1975, and then joined the F-14 Tomcat Replacement Air Group, VF-124, at NAS Miramar, California, but was killed during a training flight on June 21, 1976. He was buried at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Kane, Pennsylvania.
Honors, Citations, and Commendations
- Silver Star
- Legion of Merit
- Distinguished Flying Cross
- Bronze Star (2)
- Prisoner of War Medal
Passed away before release
Post Release