WWII Tanker Veteran On My Stuart Tank

[Steve Greenberg]

Hello,
Last weekend I had the honor of giving 97 year old tank commander SSG Harley Anderson a ride on my M3A1 Stuart tank at the Steam UP in Brooks, Or. 30 of his family members were there to see him ride on a Stuart tank for the first time in 70 years! Harley was the Grand Marshal in the parade during the Steam UP. He really enjoyed himself.

SSG. Harley Anderson entered the US Army right after Pearl Harbor and trained in M3 Stuart tanks at Ft Lewis, Washington, and Ft Knox, Kentucky. He landed at Morocco, French North Africa, with the 756th Tank Battalion, Third Infantry Division under Gen.George Patton during Operation Torch. He was already to Rome by the D-Day invasions of Normandy. He participated in the Battle of Cassino, The Battle of Rome, the amphibious invasion of Southern France, Operation Dragoon, and the Battle of the Colmar Pocket. He earned the Bronze Star for action in Italy, and another for valor in Nuremberg, Germany, along with two Bronze Arrows, the French Croixde Guerre, and a Presidential Unit Citation for almost 9 straight months of continuous combat.
HONOR THOSE VETERANS
Steve

 

[papabear]

Steve, thank you so much for posting that. I wish there was a way to get all the remaining men and women that fought in that terrible war together in one place and have representatives from every country thank them for all they did back then.

 

[max bowtie]

That's awesome!!! Thanks for posting! Remember the vets and their sacrifices!

 

[Merc1973]

Wow, God Bless the both of you.

 

[plumkrazy]

As the numbers of these True Patriots dwindle every day, it makes me proud that more and more citizens are honoring our vets. I hope and pray that this continues with all the vets that have answered the call to their country. God Bless each and everyone of these Heroes.

 

[Scar59]

Truly a member of the Greastest Generation this Nation has ever had.

 

[Junkyard Wars Crusher]

 

[VPed]

That is so cool!! thanks for posting.

I had the pleasure of meeting a WWII vet last week while shopping at Lowes. He noticed my "Marines" ball cap and said hi Marine so I extended my hand and responded with "Semper Fi". He was wearing a WWII Vet ball cap so I asked him about his time in. He told me he and his twin brother joined as soon as they turned of age and were both together in lots of places including Guadalcanal and Iwo Jima. He said he had been contacted by someone in Washington recently about going there to be recognized for being the only set of twins to serve that way. He said they were flying him up there in September. It was a real honor to meet him.