In this episode of Your History Your Story, we will be speaking with the last living US Triple Ace fighter pilot from World War 2, Clarence E. “Bud” Anderson.

Bud, who celebrated his 100th birthday on January 13, 2022, began his fascination with airplanes after hearing about Charles Lindbergh’s famous flight across the Atlantic Ocean in 1927.  As a boy in rural California,  Bud spent hours with a friend watching bi-planes take off and land at a local air strip. 

Bud’s love of airplanes eventually led him to join the US Army Aviation Cadet Program on his 20th birthday, one month after the bombing of Pearl Harbor and the United States’ entry into WW2.

After receiving his wings, Bud entered the war in Europe as a fighter pilot. From November 1943 through January 1945, Bud flew 116 combat missions in his P-51 Mustang, which he nicknamed “Old Crow” and was credited with destroying 16 1/4 enemy aircraft.

Bud will be sharing with us stories from his life and 30 year career in the US Army Air Corps and US Air Force, which will include vivid accounts of aerial combat against the German Luftwaffe, his combat tour in Vietnam and his friendship with a German fighter pilot which developed many years after WW2.

Photo(s): Courtesy of Bud Anderson / Jim Anderson

Music: "With Loved Ones" Jay Man