WWII Triple Ace on Why They Beat the Luftwaffe | Colonel Clarence 'Bud' Anderson

Colonel Clarence 'Bud' Anderson scored 16 1/4 victories over the skies of Europe in World War II. Piloting his P-51 Mustang nicknamed 'Old Crow,' Anderson completed 116 missions without a scratch. Comrades with Chuck Yeager in the 357th Fighter Group, Anderson would be promoted to Major at the ripe age of 22. He became a test pilot following the war, and continued his service through Vietnam.

A member of the National Aviation Hall of Fame, Bud Anderson sat down with AVC at age 99 to share his story.

Colonel Clarence 'Bud' Anderson passed away on May 17, 2024, age 102.

SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube channel to watch more stories of service and sacrifice from our nation's heroes!

[americanveteranscenter]

Please subscribe to our channel so you don't miss future interviews with American heroes.

[Aquablecs]

RIP Bud Anderson! He passed away May 17, 2024. Just three days ago. Sad to see you go, but so grateful for your service! 🇺🇸🇺🇸

[karstenerdinger]

He is still alive and kickin’ today at 102 yrs of age. God bless him!

[skipvalentine]

Thank you for capturing his thoughts while we've still got him. He's an absolute legend. It's very cool that he and Yeager got to live a long life.

[spacechimp]

Incredible. This guy was 99 here and he is 100 now but he only looks 70. Not only that but he’s still extremely coherent and intelligent. What a magnificent bastard.

[tjmul]

When Chuck Yeager says that Clarence "Bud" Anderson is "The best pilot I've ever seen." You listen up and take him at his word. What a lucky thrill to still hear Colonel Anderson talking about his experiences. The Last of the Old Breed, indeed.

[PathfinderHistoryTravel]

In March 2022, I had the privilege to tell Bud “thank you for my freedom “. It brought a smile to his face and he said “the true heroes are the ones that didn’t come home “. I will never forget that day.

[steve]

I had the privilege of meeting him around 1995 and I couldn’t have been more impressed. He is the most humble, genuine and kind person you could imagine.

[EXOWill]

Bud Anderson was the topic of many conversations around our kitchen table growing up. My father was a P-47 pilot in WWII 324th Fighter Group 316th Squadron.

[edwardpoe]

I sold this man a set of garage doors in 2012, he was absolutely accomodating and engaging to speak with. I spoke with him for about two hours on many different subjects mostly aspects of aviation. His stories about the aviation industry after the war are far more interesting, in my opinion since the subject of the war has been so thoroughly covered. Anyone doing research in the subject would be doing themselves a favor by looking him up

[tommorningstar]

Bud Anderson is fricking awesome. A true great and a real American hero.

[meleecritical]

That 11 minute opener was worth every word.
Col. Anderson 🫡

[cjr]

I did a history project on Anderson's dogfights and had a giant "Old Crow" model P-51 when I was younger. This man is a legend.

[daningrim]

I met Bud Anderson in Midland TX many years ago. Despite his fame as an aggressive fighter pilot, he is the nicest person to talk to in person. A gentleman's gentleman in every way.

[zackadamec]

The men of his generation saved the world and they'll forever be cooler then us. Salute to you sir 🇺🇸

[walterheinen]

Got to see Bud and Yeager fly P51s at Oshkosh in the 90s. They were 73 at the time and sharper then a tack. God bless ‘em

[tomw]

This man is a great blessing. To be able to be this coherent at over 100 years old is incredible. I think he'd still be a good pilot today. His spirit is so lively when he's talking shop.

[_dboy_]

My great uncle was Maj. Bobby Foy, who was also a triple ace in the 357th fighter group with Bud. What legends these guys were/are. Unfortunately I never got to meet my great uncle because he died as a passenger in a test flight in 1950.

Definitely appreciate the chance to be able to hear these stories from someone who flew alongside him.

[talltomb]

My father was a P47 fighter pilot; my colleague "Joe"at a German company I worked for in the early 80's was a Luftwaffe Junkers pilot during WWII. Joe told me "at the beginning of the war we washed our dirty planes with gas, toward the end of the war we had no gas to fly our planes."

[terrymindham]

I met him in Oshkosh at the Air Show a few times, and bought his book, signed by him. A great guy, and very open to talking. Also bought many signed photos. What a nice man! I am so happy to see this, at 99 years of age. Bud was usually with Chuck Yeager, the friend he flew with in WWII. To meet guys of their stature was truly a thrill!