BLACK SOCIAL HISTORY : AFRICAN AMERICAN PRIVATE FIRST CLASS JAMES ANDERSON Jr OF THE UNITED STATES MARINE : GOES INTO THE " HALL OF BLACK GENIUS"

                     BLACK              SOCIAL                HISTORY                                                                                                                                                         Private First Class James Anderson, Jr  January 22, 1947 - February 28, 1967  was a United States Marine who posthumously received the Medal of Honor for heroism while serving in Vietnam in February 1967. When his Medal of Honor was awarded on August 21, 1968, he became the first African-American U.S. Marine recipient of the Medal of Honor.
Anderson was born on January 22, 1947, in Los Angeles, California. After graduating from senior high school, he attended Los Angeles Harbor Junior College for a year and a half.
Private Anderson left college to enlist in the United States Marine Corps on February 17, 1966 and received recruit training with the 1st Recruit Training Battalion, Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego, California. He was promoted to private first class upon graduation from recruit training in August 1966. He then transferred to Camp Pendleton, California where he received further training with the 2nd Battalion, 2nd Infantry Training Regiment.
In December 1966, Private Anderson arrived in the Republic of Vietnam, where he served as a rifleman with Company F, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines, 3rd Marine Division in Quang Tri Province. On February 28, 1967 he was mortally wounded.
Private Anderson was interred at Lincoln Memorial Park in Carson, California (Plot L-6).