During World War II, the Air Transport Command (ATC) was part of the United States Air Force. The ATC was responsible for delivering supplies and equipment to US troops, ferrying aircraft from US manufacturing plants to bases near foreign combat sites, and transporting military personnel.

From the March 3, 1945 Wisconsin State Journal article titled “Gen. Harmon, Nine Others Missing in Pacific Area,” the article from Pearl Harbor stated “Lieut. Gen. Millard F. Harmon, commander of the air forces of the Pacific ocean areas, and nine other army officers and enlisted men have been missing in the Pacific since their plane was reported overdue recently from a routine flight, it was announced today… Army and navy planes and ships are conducting the most extensive search operations ever known in the Pacific...”

Ten servicemen were reported missing in action on this flight including the pilot, co-pilot, and other military personnel including Master Sergeant Douglas O. Anderson, an engineer.

The recorded date of this plane going missing was February 26, 1945. The official “finding of death date” for all 10 servicemen was one year later on February 26, 1946. No one was ever recovered.

Douglas Otha Anderson was born in 1919 or 1920 in Kansas. Without access to a birth certificate, it is not possible to determine who exactly his parents were. However, this researcher has made an effort to link him up to his presumed family which included grandparents Francis M. and Clara Anderson, and their 9 children. The family lived in Lawrence, Douglas County, Kansas on the 1910, 1920 and 1930 census records. 

Douglas Anderson’s photo was in the 1937 Lawrence High School Year Book for Lawrence, Kansas. Depending on his birth date, he might have graduated in 1937 or 1938.

On June 7, 1939, Douglas O. Anderson enlisted for military service at Pope Field, Fort Bragg, North Carolina. He was born in Kansas, had 4 years of high school, and was single without dependents.

On the 1940 US Census, Douglas O. Anderson was a Private in the 11th Signal Co. living in the Special Troops Schofield Barracks on the island of Oahu, Honolulu, Hawaii. 

Master Sergeant Anderson ultimately served as an Engineer with the US Army Air Corps during WWII. He was attached to the 1535th Army Air Force Base Unit, Air Transport Command (ATC) Pacific, Headquarters Company. He was missing in action in the Pacific Ocean and was declared dead while missing. He was posthumously awarded the Air Medal and the Purple Heart.

Master Sergeant Anderson was listed on the National Archives WWII Honor Roll as being from Green County, Wisconsin. His death status was listed as Finding of Death.

{Note: This researcher has done extensive family research into this soldier’s family. His grandparents were both deceased at his time of death, so it might have been difficult to find next of kin. The Green County Veterans service office has this soldier listed but has no information about this soldier. It is likely an error that he was listed on the Green County, Wisconsin WWII Honor Roll list.}

Master Sergeant Anderson was memorialized at the Tablets of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Thank you, Private Master Sergeant Douglas Otha Anderson, for your service to and ultimate sacrifice for this country. We honor you and remember you.