Major General John Benjamin Anderson (March 10, 1891 – September 1, 1976) was a senior United States Army officer who fought in both World War I and World War II. During the latter he served as the first wartime commander of the 102nd Infantry Division and later commanded XVI Corps during the final stages of the war in Europe.
Early life and military career
John Benjamin Anderson was born on March 10, 1891, in Parkersburg, Iowa, to Danish immigrants Carl Christian Anderson and Louisa (Simonsen) Anderson. Known to his family and friends from Parkersburg as "Ben", he was the youngest of seven children. Being the son of an immigrant laborer and farmer, young Anderson's early life was not especially easy, consisting mainly of hard labor on the farm, coupled with school, chores, church, and time spent with family. Despite this, he was lucky enough to escape the worst of many childhood diseases, such as diphtheria, polio and tuberculosis, which were always round the corner.
After graduating from Parkersburg High School in 1910, Anderson, determined to pursue a military career, left Parkersburg for the United States Military Academy (USMA) at West Point, New York. A newspaper article at the time, upon hearing about Anderson's appointment, described him as an "exceptionally bright young man and a good student", further stating that "these qualifications count for much with the military authorities in charge of the school.". He was one of just 130 cadet appointments to the academy in 1910.
After just over four years, he graduated thirty-third in a class of 107 on June 12, 1914, shortly before World War I broke out in Europe. John J. Pershing, then a brigadier general, was among the guests at the graduation. . Anderson was commissioned as a second lieutenant into the Field Artillery Branch of the United States Army on that date. Many of his classmates who he graduated alongside later became general officers before, during or after World War II, such as Carl Spaatz, Brehon B. Somervell, Frank W. Milburn, Harold R. Bull, Vicente Lim, Harry C. Ingles, Jens A. Doe, Ralph Royce, Orlando Ward, Harold Francis Loomis, Charles P. Gross, and James L. Bradley.
Anderson was subsequently assigned to the 6th Field Artillery Regiment and transferred to El Paso, Texas, with his unit, where he served on the Mexican border during the Pancho Villa Expedition in 1916. John was there upon the American entry into World War I, which occurred on April 6, 1917, with the United States declaring war on Germany.
During the war, Anderson was sent, with the 6th Field Artillery Regiment, part of the newly created 1st Division, to the Western Front, where he served as a regimental adjutant in the Somme sector, scene of much bitter fighting the year before, in France in October and November 1917. He witnessed the first American artillery shot into German lines, a 75mm round from his old unit, Battery C of the 6th Field Artillery. Major General William L. Sibert, the division's commander, ordered that the shell cases of the first eight of the total twenty-four shots fired were to be sent to him. President Woodrow Wilson was immediately sent the first shell casing, which he kept as a souvenir. Soon afterwards, Anderson left his unit to attend the Command and General Staff School established by General Pershing’s command at Langres, France, in January, 1918.
In the spring of 1918, Anderson served with the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) in Belgium at the Ypres Salient, which, he described in his diary on February 19, 1918, "the hottest place along the whole front." He was appointed adjutant of the 1st Field Artillery Brigade. Later, Anderson was transferred back to his 6th Artillery Regiment, where he served as battery commander and briefly commanded a battalion of the 6th Field Artillery Regiment prior to the Battle of Cantigny.