Oral History Interview with Dana Anderson, May 13, 2004

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Dana Anderson. Anderson was born in Manhattan, Kansas on 30 November 1924 and joined the Navy on 2 December 1942. After completing boot camp at the Great Lakes Naval Training Center, Illinois he was sent to San Diego where he trained on the Diesel engines on LCMs. After the training was complete he was assigned to USS Ashland (LSD-1), which was capable of carrying 18 LCMs. After making practice landings in Hawaii with the 2nd Marine Division, the Ashland participated in the invasion of Tarawa. Anderson’s LCM was left on the beach as it was disabled by Japanese shellfire. He returned to the Ashland and later participated in the invasions of Eniwetok and Kwajalein. Returning to the United States, he was sent to Cleveland, Ohio where he received additional training with Diesel engines. He was then assigned to an ocean-going tug hauling concrete forms to the Philippines. This tug was pulling another ship back to the US when the war ended