Anderson Ralph E.

Name:

Ralph E. Anderson

Rank:

Staff Sergeant

Serial Number:

6857722

Unit:

93rd Bomber Squadron, 19th Bomber Group, Heavy

Date of Death:

1942-05-04

State:

Minnesota

Cemetery:

Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, Manila, Capital District, National Capital Region, Philippines

Plot:

Walls of the Missing

Row:

Grave:

Decoration:

Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster

Comments:

Ralph E. Anderson was born in 1911, in Minnesota. He enlisted in the Army Air Corps on August 12, 1941. He served in the 93rd Bomber Squadron, 19th Bomber Group, Heavy, as a Staff Sergeant during World War II.

After the fall of Bataan in the hands of the Japanese Army on April 9, 1942, SSgt Anderson was one of the 10,000 to 12,000 Americans who were forced to march over 60 miles under brutal conditions, resulting in 1,000 to 5,000 deaths due to starvation, dehydration, and abuse. Survivors were sent to Camp O'Donnell, where dire conditions, including overcrowding, malnutrition, and disease, caused an additional 1,500 to 2,300 American deaths within weeks. Those who survived faced ongoing hardships, including transfers to other camps and forced labor, where many continued to suffer or die.

SSgt Anderson was reported missing and officially declared dead on May 4, 1942. His name is memorialized in the Walls of the Missing in the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, Manila, Capital District, National Capital Region, Philippines.

Source of information: www.livescience.com