Paul Liggett ANDERSON (VETERAN 2 WARS)

LIEUTENANT COLONEL US Army
World War II
Korea
October 18, 1904 - November 30, 1955

Information from the Benton County Historical Society.

The Benton County Historical Society lost one of its valuable charter members, in November 30, 1955, when death claimed Paul L. Anderson, who had been an active member from the first meeting. He drafted the by-laws and encouraged its efforts when only a handful of members attended. He was a man of great love for his country, his native state, and his home town. He had lived a very colorful active
life, flying to most of the important cities of the world during his war years. He was an artist at heart and always returned home with some object of beauty.

Paul Anderson was born at the Hazel Glen Farm on October 18, 1904, in Benton County, about a mile South of Vaughn. He was the son of William Allen and Sally Jones Anderson. His maternal grandfather was Sam Jones, a veteran of the Mexican War. Colonel Anderson came of a long line of Army men. He was the great-grandson of Col. Hugh A. Anderson, veteran of the War of 1812, who was himself the son of Capt. William Anderson, famed Indian fighter and Revolutionary War veteran. His grandfather, Oliver Irving Anderson, served in the Confederate Army in the war between the states. His great-grandmother, Mary Allen Anderson, was a descendant of Capt. Hugh Allen, who was killed in the battle of Polk Pleasant, during the Revolutionary War.

Paul Anderson's ancestors came to Benton County, Arkansas, from Alabama in 1832. They established a home at Hazel Glen Farm. Four generations of the family are buried in the family cemetery at Vaughn.

Mr. Andersen was admitted to the bar at the age of 21; practiced law in Rogers for six years; was city attorney (1926-1932); attorney for Federal Land Bank, St. Louis, Mo.(1933-1937); Counsel for Bank of Cooperatives, St. Louis, Mo.(1938-1940).
He was admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of Arkansas; U.S. District Court; United States Circuit Court of Appeals, and the Supreme Court of the United States. He was a member of the Benton County Bar Association, Bar Association of
Arkansas, Judicature Society and American Bar Association.

He was a member of the Reserve Officers Corps, (Judge Advocate General Corps), entered active duty in St. Louis as a Second Lieutenant on March 21, 1941.

He was a witness in the Nurnberg trials and sat at many other important cases while in Europe. He was a veteran of World War II, with 29 months overseas in the British Isles, France, Belgium, Holland and Germany; and a veteran of the Korean campaign, with 21 months overseas in the Mariana-Bonins Islands, the Ryukyus Islands and Korea. He was honorably retired from military service as a Lieutenant Colonel in 1952 for disabilities' incurred in Korea. Among several awards for outstanding
service to his country Col. Anderson, while a member of the staff of Lt.Gen. Edward M. Almond, commander of the Tenth Corps in Korea, was awarded the Legion of Merit, and the Air Medal. He was also awarded the Bronze Star Medal in the European campaign.

Paul Anderson was a member of the Presbyterian Church, a 32nd degree Mason, a Shriner, and a Son of the American Revolution. He was married to Peggy (Ida Flossie) Moody, August 27th,1926. Peggy is also a member of one of Benton County's pioneer families. Her maternal grandfather was Alexander Nail, one of the heroes of the Battle of Pea Ridge.

Paul will be greatly missed by the Benton County Historical Society.

Contributed on 7/17/12 by mdfreels
Email This Contributor

Suggest a Correction

Record #: 729359

Don't Follow