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Cpl Nathan R. Anderson, 22, died as the result of enemy action in Anbar province, Iraq on 12 November 2004. Anderson was with Weapons Company, 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, 2nd MEF. Holding Up Under Fire "While camped out one night in the Iraqi National Guard building in the middle of Fallujah, Company B came under mortar fire that grew closer with each shot. The insurgents were "bracketing" the building, firing shots to the left and right of the target and adjusting their fire each time. In the hallways, where the men had camped for the night, the murmured sounds of prayers rose between the explosions. After 20 tries, the shelling inexplicably stopped. On one particularly grim night, a group of marines from Company B's First Platoon turned a corner in the darkness and headed up an alley. As they did so, they came across men dressed in uniforms worn by the Iraqi National Guard. The uniforms were so exact that they even carried pieces of red tape and white, the agreed upon signal to assure American soldiers that any Iraqis dressed that way would be friendly; the others could be killed. The marines, spotting the red and white tape, waved, and the men in Iraqi uniforms opened fire. One American, Corporal Anderson, died instantly." Article about Ziolkowski and Anderson HERE. In high school, Nathan Anderson often invited friends over to socialize around a campfire in the family's backyard. "He was an honest guy, the heart and soul of all our friends," said April Buckingham, who graduated from high school with Anderson in 2001. "He was the one who tried to keep us all together after graduation." Cpl Anderson was stationed at Camp Lejeune. Meg Anderson, 25, Anderson's sister, said she does not think her younger brother would have enlisted after graduation if she had not persuaded him. She said she always wanted to join the military herself but never did. "I put it into his head," she said. "He looked up to me." Anderson was due home in January and had no plans to re-enlist, his sister said. He is also survived by his mother and stepfather, Mary and Neil Shaw, and his father, Richard Anderson. |
