Navy Reserve Petty Officer Second Class Michael Charles Anderson, 36, Daytona Beach, Florida (Formerly lived in Oshkosh, Wisconsin) died on Sunday, May 2, 2004 in Ramadi, Anbar Province, Iraq. He was one of five sailors killed in a mortar attack on their base. Many others were wounded. Anderson was attached to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 14, out of Jacksonville, Florida.
An Associated Press article posted on militarytimes.com notes Petty Officer Anderson was a member of the Navy Seabees construction force. He had only been in Iraq for around a month. Michael Anderson was a 1986 graduate of Oshkosh North High School, in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Anderson had been married for eight years and had a 7-year-old daughter.
The Web site iraq.pigstye.net using information from news-jounalonline.com out of Daytona Beach, Florida, mentioned Anderson was born in Daytona Beach and moved to Wisconsin with his parents and his sister. An obituary posted on americanmemorials.com said Michael Anderson had moved to Wisconsin in 1969. The Web site articles.orlandosentinel.com noted Anderson had joined the U.S. Navy 1987. He spent time on the USS Forrestal aircraft carrier out of Mayport Naval Station in Jacksonville, Florida.
The Orlando Sentinel posting also indicated Michael Anderson had left the regular Navy in 1992. Michael later worked at the Baylor Plastering & Drywall in Holly Hill, Florida. There he worked overseeing installation of the acoustical ceilings that are standard in many offices. He later joined the Navy Reserves a few months after the September 11, 2001 terrorism attacks. Anderson's Reserve Unit deployed to Iraq in April of 2004.
The information found via news-journalonline.com mentioned that the 730-person Seabee unit out of Jacksonville Naval Air Station, was charged with carrying out humanitarian aid that included water treatment, sewage treatment, and re-establishing electricity. Around 400 sailors from the unit, including Michael Anderson, were sent to Iraq. The journalonline.com also noted Michael Anderson had served in the first Gulf War.
At the time of his death, Navy Petty Officer Second Class Michael Anderson was survived by his wife Karen; two daughters, Brandi and Amber; his mother Sylvia Anderson; sister Sandy Anderson; two nieces, Jennifer Berry and Crystal Berry; and, mother and father-in-law Connie and Tom McGlone. Funeral services were held in Ormond Beach, Florida; a memorial service was held in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
Information for this short biography about Navy Reserve Petty Officer Second Class Michael Charles Anderson was pieced together from the following sources: militarytimes.com, Associated Press, "Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael C. Anderson"; iraq.pigstye.net, news-jounalonline.com, "Michael Charles Anderson," posted May 6, 2004; americanmemorials.com, "Michael Charles Anderson"; articles.orlandosentinel.com, "Anderson," May 7, 2004; journalonline.com, "Mortar attack Sunday in Iraq takes life of Volusia County man," May 5, 2004; jounalonline.com, "Family, friends remember Seabee Michael Anderson," June 5, 2005; Wisconsin Department of Veteran Affairs "Fallen Heroes Page"; and, CNN.com "War Casualties Page."
Note: This "Wisconsin Military Casualties Afghanistan Iraq Compilation" Daily Dadio blog Category is under construction. Go to the Cooldadiomedia Web site and the Wisconsin War Casualties Page for a list of names noted by date of death. ( If readers know of other military service persons with Wisconsin connections that are not on the Web site comprehensive list of fatal casualties, or notice errors, please email Bob Keith at keithrg13@cooldadiomedia.com ).
