Rudolph Anderson Jr.
N 29° 22.067 W 100° 47.927
14R E 325407 N 3250078
Fourth of four historical markers in a small roadside pullout on the eastbound US 90 near the main gate entrance to Laughlin Air Force Base outside of Del Rio, Texas
Waymark Code: WMPN9K
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 09/25/2015
Views: 4
Fourth of four historical markers in a small roadside pullout on the eastbound US 90 near the main gate entrance to Laughlin Air Force Base outside of Del Rio, Texas, this marker tells the tale of US Air Force pilot Rudolph Anderson, the only American airman shot down during the Cuban Missile Crisis.
Marker Number: 13695
Marker Text:
U.S. Air Force pilot Rudolf Anderson was the only American airman shot down during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Born in 1927 in South Carolina, Anderson joined the military in 1951 and soon began flying reconnaissance missions during the Korean Conflict. Stationed at Laughlin Air Force Base by 1957, he was here when the Cuban Missile Crisis developed in October 1962. On October 27, while piloting a U-2 plane over Cuba to provide surveillance of a medium range ballistic missile site under construction, antiaircraft fire hit his plane, killing him. The Air Force decorated Anderson posthumously and in 2001 renamed Laughlin's operation building Anderson Hall. He is buried in South Carolina. (2006)
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