[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 88 (Tuesday, May 21, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H3360-H3361]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        HONORING BRIGADIER GENERAL CLARENCE E. ``BUD'' ANDERSON

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
California (Mr. LaMalfa) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. LaMALFA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a dear friend, 
Brigadier General Clarence E. ``Bud'' Anderson, probably known best, at 
least by me and some others in the neighborhood, as Colonel Bud.
  In recent years, Representative Tom McClintock and I petitioned the 
Air Force to upgrade him to brigadier general, which he certainly 
deserved and he earned, but I think most folks kind of know him as 
Colonel Bud.
  What you see there in his countenance and smile goes even beyond his 
exploits as a triple ace in World War II to the kind, nice, and decent 
man that he was.
  You could sit down with Colonel Bud and just chat about anything. He 
was willing to talk about his time serving in World War II, especially 
as a fighter ace, a triple ace. ``Ace'' means five kills of enemy 
aircraft. He did that over three times.
  He was known as everybody's friend in the Auburn area of northern 
California. It was certainly a pleasure for me to know him since 
somewhere around 2011 when I first got to meet him at a special event 
there.
  He was always out participating in the community when he could. 
Health issues more recently made that tougher. He was out there sharing 
and just being an inspiration to so many, especially young people. He 
would take the time to sit with and chat and talk about his 
experiences. That is very special because his service was an incredible 
experience in helping keep our Nation safe and helping free Europe in 
World War II. Not a lot of veterans want to talk about that publicly. 
It is difficult for them. He was the guy who could do that.
  You see him here with his aircraft. He flew three different types of 
aircraft in World War II, but the one most known was his P-51 Mustang 
named the ``Old Crow,'' of which there are replicas that you can see at 
certain air shows. I am very proud of that, and it is well known 
because of his amazing exploits.
  We are very saddened by his passing, but our hearts are filled with 
what a great man and a nice man he was.
  He would talk with us about engines and airplanes and the dogfighting 
in World War II that got him to that point of being a triple ace, and 
he would even talk about NASCAR racing.
  Interestingly, there is a special edition Ford Mustang done up like 
his aircraft that he got to see, which was pretty cool as well. It was 
done, I think, by Roush Racing.
  He was a northern California native. He grew up on a rural farm in 
Newcastle, and he loved to watch the airplanes back then.
  He graduated from Placer High School in 1939 and earned his private 
pilot license in 1941 through the Civilian Pilot Training Program. In 
January of 1942, when duty called, he entered the U.S. Army aviation 
cadet program, receiving his wings that September of 1942.
  In Europe, Bud served two combat tours, escorting heavy bombers in 
the P-51 from 1943 to 1945, which was some severe duty.
  If you have ever watched any documentaries, the duty they had in 
those daylight raids to try to bomb Germany out of the war is 
incredible. Those ``Little Friends,'' as these Mustangs were known, 
escorting those bombers in that difficult mission were indeed valuable 
and loved by them.
  He flew 116 combat missions, 480 hours' worth, destroyed 16\1/4\ 
enemy aircraft, as they divided them up amongst a couple other pilots 
as well.

                              {time}  1215

  Bud flew in the 357th fighter group known as the Yoxford Boys and was 
the highest scoring ace in the 363rd fighter squadron. Bud came home 
from Europe and married Eleanor Cosby in 1945. They had two children, 
James Edward and Kathryn.
  After the war, he became a fighter test pilot and later chief of 
fighter operations. He flew many models of early jet fighters and was 
involved in some very unusual flight test programs, including down at 
Edwards Air Force Base where much of that came from. He has flown over 
130 types of aircraft and logged over 7,500 flying hours in his career.
  He was also assigned in postwar Korea as a commander of a F-86 jet

[[Page H3361]]

fighter squadron there as well, commander in the F-105 wing in Okinawa, 
and two assignments at the Pentagon, as well.
  Bud was decorated 25 times. His awards include 2 Legions of Merit, 5 
Distinguished Flying Crosses, the Bronze Star, 16 Air Medals, the 
French Legion of Honor, and the French Croix de Guerre, as well as many 
other campaign service ribbons.
  When Bud retired from the Air Force, he joined the McDonnell Aircraft 
Company and served for 12 years as the manager of the company's flight 
test facility there.
  After his full retirement in 1984, Bud and Ellie moved back to Auburn 
where he continued to travel, hunt, fish, and speak at air shows and 
just be the great man we knew him as. God bless him. I am going to miss 
him personally. What a great friend he was. He was a great human being, 
and I am glad to have known him.
  May God bless you, Bud, and hold you in His hands.
  Fly high, my friend.

                          ____________________