[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 106 (Tuesday, July 23, 2013)]
[Senate]
[Page S5834]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          HONORING PRIVATE FIRST CLASS WALTER HERBERT ANDERSON

  Mr. LEE. Mr. President, today I rise to honor PFC Walter Herbert 
Anderson, who has been awarded a posthumous Purple Heart for his 
service in World War I. He was born in Toquerville, Utah Territory, on 
February 3, 1895, 1 year before Utah officially became a State. Little 
did he know that his service would take him around the world and change 
the rest of his life. PFC Anderson was involved in some of the largest 
American offensives of the war and served his country with honor. He 
was part of the famous 91st Division, affectionately referred to as the 
``Wild West Division.''
  The division consisted of a group of inexperienced young men from 
several Western States. Although they were shipped to Europe in the 
eleventh hour of the war, as all Americans were, they fought in some of 
the most ferocious operations. Private First Class Anderson, a member 
of the 346th artillery regiment, was part of three major offensives: 
the Saint Mihiel Offensive, France; the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, 
France, and the Ypres-Lys Offensive, Belgium.
  During the Meuse-Argonne Offensive in October 1918, Private First 
Class Anderson was debilitated by a German gas attack. In World War I, 
due to the limited knowledge regarding the effects of chemical warfare, 
gassed soldiers were not counted among the wounded in medical records 
or morning reports. According to the U.S. Army Medical Department's 
Office of Medical History, 229 soldiers were gassed from the 91st 
Division during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. These soldiers were not 
put in the hospitals because of gas residuals, which were active for 
days.
  The American casualties from mustard gas were carried to portable 
``gas hospitals.'' These consisted of temporary shelters or local 
homes. In all, during the Meuse-Argonne campaign, there were 20,000 
chemical warfare casualties, comprising 22 percent of all injuries 
during the campaign. Within 24 hours of exposure, victims experienced 
skin irritations, which often turned into large blisters. If eyes were 
exposed, as Private First Class Anderson's were, resulting symptoms 
usually included swelling, pus, and temporary blindness.
  U.S. doctors treated Private First Class Anderson in a private home 
at La-Ferte-Barnard, France, for about 6 weeks. He was not counted 
among the wounded. His injuries consisted of temporary blindness, 
sticky eyes, burning and pain, bronchial problems, and nervousness. 
Such was the sacrifice that Private First Class Anderson, along with 
many of his brothers-in-arms, made to defeat the despotic regimes of 
Central Europe.
  Private First Class Anderson was released from the Army in April 
1919. Upon release, he was told that his eye problems and nervousness 
would go away. On April 6, 1921, Private First Class Anderson signed an 
affidavit of disability and honorable discharge, stating that he ``was 
gassed about October 2, 1918, at the Meuse-Argonne, and was treated by 
U.S. doctors in a private home at La-Ferte-Bernard, France.'' His eyes 
had a film over them, and his eyelids were granulated. He was 
officially diagnosed with trachoma, which was caused by exposure to 
mustard gas. He lived honorably with this disability for the rest of 
his life.
  Private First Class Anderson left a legacy of service and sacrifice 
to his posterity. He served as the post commander of the Utah Veterans 
of Foreign Wars, and two of his sons also served in the U.S. Armed 
Forces. He was Salt Lake County commissioner from 1937 to 1938 and also 
served as a clerk for the Utah House of Representatives. At age 57, he 
lost an eye as a result of a tumor development and subsequent 
operation. He pushed on with one eye, until in 1955, stricken with 
cancer, he left this frail existence for a more exalted sphere.
  To Walter and his dear wife Lola and to their posterity, on behalf of 
the U.S. Senate and the people of Utah, I sincerely thank you for your 
sacrifices, your love of country, and your honorable service. May the 
life of PFC Walter Herbert Anderson, deserving the honor of being 
included in The Military Order of the Purple Heart, shine as an example 
for us and for future generations. It is my prayer that we will always 
remember the sacrifices of our brave military men and women who have 
fought and who continue to fight in defense of our Constitution and our 
liberty.

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