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A memorial service was held in honor of the late Major Rudolf Anderson, Jr., November 11, 2007, at his gravesite in Woodlawn Memorial Park.
Major Anderson, a Greenville native, Eagle Scout and Clemson alumnus was the only casualty of the Cuban Missile Crises that ended with the Russians pulling their missiles out of Cuba in exchange for President John F. Kennedy agreeing to remove American missiles from Turkey, as well as an apparent understanding that the US would not allow another Bay of Pigs type invasion of Cuba.
Major Anderson was sent on a mission in a U-2 observation aircraft to photograph the missiles in Cuba in order to prove to the world that the Russians were lying when they said no missiles were delivered to Cuba 35 miles from American shores.
Local business owner Roy Gullick, who had been Rudolf Anderson’s scout leader, led efforts to urge the United States Air Force to recommend Maj. Anderson for the Medal of Honor for flying his plane into hostile fire to photograph the Russian missiles. No final action has been taken on the resolution and packet of documentation submitted in support of the resolution supported by the American Legion and others.
During the annual Veterans Day memorial service held November 11th, organized by Gullick, the speaker was television personality Jane Robelot, first cousin of Major Anderson. Major Anderson’s son, daughter and grandchildren, along with other relatives and friends attended the service. Scouts from his troop, as in the past, participated in the ceremonies.
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