(Washington, D.C.) –U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) announced that the Port Angeles Federal Building will be named in honor of Medal of Honor and Purple Heart recipient Richard B. Anderson thanks to her legislation that passed the U.S. Senate yesterday. Anderson was a United States Marine who sacrificed his life during World War II by falling on a live grenade to protect his fellow Marines. The bill to rename the building, H.R. 4140, has already passed the House where it was sponsored by Representative Norm Dicks.
"Richard B. Anderson gave the ultimate sacrifice to protect his fellow Marines," said Senator Murray. "It is a privilege to honor his memory and the wishes of the Port Angeles veterans’ community by passing this bill. The Richard B. Anderson Federal Building will honor more that just one brave Marine Private, it will also be a lasting tribute to the sacrifices of all those who serve."
Rep. Dicks said that “the naming of federal buildings is an important opportunity to recognize individuals whose contributions can serve as an inspiration for others in the community. In this case, the name of Richard B. Anderson, permanently affixed to the federal building, will serve as a constant reminder of his personal and selfless sacrifice, as well as the debt that all citizens of our free nation owe to our country’s military veterans.”
Richard B. Anderson was born in Tacoma, Washington in 1921. As a Private First Class in the U.S. Marine Corps, he was sent to the Marshall Islands in 1944. While hunting snipers on Roi Island, PFC Anderson threw himself on a live grenade to save the lives of three fellow soldiers who were in a shell crater with him. Anderson was evacuated to a ship, where he died of his wounds on February, 1st 1944. He was buried at sea with full military honors. He later received the Purple Heart and Medal of Honor – the highest military honor awarded by the U.S. government.
The following is the citation for Richard B. Anderson’s Medal of Honor:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving with the Fourth Marine Division during action against enemy Japanese forces on Roi Island, Kwajalein Atoll, Marshall Islands, February 1, 1944. Entering a shell crater occupied by three other Marines, Private First Class Anderson was preparing to throw a grenade at an enemy position when it slipped from his hands and rolled toward the men at the bottom of the hole. With insufficient time to retrieve the armed weapon and throw it, Private First Class Anderson fearlessly chose to sacrifice himself and save his companions by hurling his body upon the grenade and taking the full impact of the explosion. His personal valor and exceptional spirit of loyalty in the face of almost certain death were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.
The Port Angeles Federal Building is located at 138 West First Street, Port Angeles, WA 98362
The legislation passed the Senate by unanimous consent yesterday. The bill will now go to the President who is expected to sign it into law.
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