Phillip Russell Anderson

Lance Corporal
HMM-362, MAG-16, 1ST MAW
United States Marine Corps
29 May 1948 - 17 November 1968
Jacksonville, Florida
Panel 39W Line 077

1ST MAW H-34 HMM-362
Combat Aircrew

Purple Heart, Air Medal, National Defense, Vietnam Service, Vietnam Campaign

The database page for Phillip Russell Anderson

21 Feb 2005

REMEMBERED

George Curtis
MGySgt USMC (Ret)
gcurtis@popasmoke.com
15 Apr 2005

REMEMBERED

I was aboard the aircraft during this incident.

Allan D. Cain
allancain@sbcglobal.net

06 May 2005

I just saw this site and wanted to add something to it, even though I did not know Phillip R. Anderson personally. I do, however, share his name and was surprised to see it on the Memorial Wall when I lived and worked in Washington, D.C. a few years back. I was even more taken aback by the fact that Lance Corporal Anderson was killed in action almost exactly one month before I was born. All of this may sound trivial in nature to some, but it meant a great deal to me to see my own name on the Wall. It made me, someone of a completely different generation, feel the impact of the Vietnam War, which still exists today for thousands of veterans and their families, including my own. As I said, I never knew this Phillip R. Anderson, but I honor his sacrifice to our country, and thank him for his bravery.

From
Phillip R. Anderson
pra_esq@hotmail.com

A Note from The Virtual Wall

At about 0430 17 Nov 1968 a UH-34D (BuNo 149329) from HMM-362 was called out on a medevac mission. When the aircraft approached to about 400 feet from the landing zone it came under fire from both sides. The crew chief, LCpl Anderson, returned fire but was fatally wounded. With his aircraft on fire but still airborne, pilot Lt Albert Nitchman flew some distance to a rice paddy and landed. By the time the chase plane landed near the burning H-34 it was totally engulfed in flames. LCpl Anderson was already dead and it was not safe to try to evacuate him as on-board ammunition had begun to detonate. The four surviving crew members were taken aboard the chase plane and flown to the Naval Support Activity hospital. LCpl Anderson's body subsequently was recovered.

The surviving crewmen were pilot 1stLt Al Nitchman; copilot, name unknown; gunner LCpl A. D. Crain; and a Navy Corpsman, name unknown.

Additional information is available on the Pop-A-Smoke site.



The point-of-contact for this memorial is
one who remembers,
George Curtis
MGySgt USMC (Ret)
gcurtis@popasmoke.com
21 Feb 2005



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With all respect
Jim Schueckler, former CW2, US Army
Ken Davis, Commander, United States Navy (Ret)
Last updated 05/14/2005