The San Diego Air & Space Museum is remembering World War II Triple Ace Clarence Emil “Bud” Anderson, who was considered by many pilots as “the best fighter pilot I ever saw.” Anderson, who was inducted into the prestigious International Air & Space Hall of Fame in 2013, passed away on May 17, 2024 at the age of 102.

Since 1963, the International Air & Space Hall of Fame has honored the world’s most significant pilots, crew members, visionaries, inventors, aerospace engineers, business leaders, preservationists, designers and space explorers. Anderson entered the International Air & Space Hall of Fame at the San Diego Air & Space Museum in 2013.

“Aviation and space exploration, as embodied by the honorees in the International Air & Space Hall of Fame, directly represents the human pioneering and exploring spirit. Anyone alive who has ever flown a fighter plane looked up to Bud Anderson and the men who flew like him during a time of our country’s greatest need,” said Jim Kidrick, President & CEO of the San Diego Air & Space Museum. “Bud was an American hero, a true gentleman and great friend of the Museum. The San Diego Air & Space Museum mourns his loss while remembering him fondly for his incredible achievements. Our thoughts are with him and his family.”

A one-on-one interview with Anderson – the most viewed in the Museum’s annals – can be found on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmzzuMzOcKM&t=163s.

Clarence Emil “Bud” Anderson was born on January 13, 1922 in Oakland, California. During World War II he became a Triple Ace, flying his famous P-51 Mustang “Old Crow” while assigned to the 357th Fighter Group “Yoxford Boys” of the 8th Air Force Group - the first group to be equipped with the Mustang. At the young age of 22, Anderson flew two tours of combat against the Luftwaffe in Europe while with the 363rd Fighter Squadron and achieved 16 victories through 116 missions without a single hit from enemy aircraft. With over 30 years of service, Colonel Anderson was decorated 25 times, including five Distinguished Flying Crosses, the Bronze Star, and two Legion of Merits. He was a life member of the American Fighter Aces Association and a Fellow of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots. In 2008, he was inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame. He entered the prestigious International Air & Space Hall of Fame at the San Diego Air & Space Museum in 2013.

The International Air & Space Hall of Fame is the most prestigious induction of its kind in the world and is composed of hundreds of air and space pioneers, engineers, inventors and innovators, along with adventurers, scientists and industry leaders. NASA Mercury, Gemini and Apollo astronauts and Russian cosmonauts are honored in the Hall, as well as famous legends such as the Wright Brothers, Charles Lindbergh, Neil Armstrong and Amelia Earhart. Notable inductees also include Buzz Aldrin, Igor Sikorsky, Wernher von Braun, Jack Northrop, Jackie Cochran, William Boeing, Sr., Reuben H. Fleet, Glenn Curtiss, Walter Zable Sr., Fran Bera, Wally Schirra, Bill Anders, Jim Lovell, T. Claude Ryan, Jimmy Doolittle, Bob Hoover, Ellen Ochoa, Peggy Whitson, Linden Blue, Patty Wagstaff, and many more. See the following link: http://sandiegoairandspace.org/exhibits/online-exhibit-page/international-air-space-hall-of-fame.