USS Anderson, DD 411, was built at Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Co., Kearny, New Jersey and commissioned in May 1939. She served in the Atlantic and Caribbean into April 1940, then transited the Panama Canal to take up duties in the Pacific. With several other ships, she was sent back through the canal in June 1941 to reinforce the Navy’s forces in the North Atlantic. During the last months of the year, both before and after war formally began with Germany on 11 December, she escorted convoys to and from Iceland, took part in anti-submarine actions, and carried out patrols.
   Anderson returned to the Pacific in early 1942 and remained in that ocean for the rest of her service. She accompanied carrier Yorktown (CV 5) in the south Pacific in March and April, screened Lexington (CV 2) during the Battle of the Coral Sea in early May and then was back with Yorktown a month later for the Battle of Midway. When carrier Hornet (CV 8) was sent to join the Guadalcanal campaign, Anderson went along

Anderson and sisters standing by the sinking Lexington (above) and Yorktown (below) in 1942.

Edwin Alexander Anderson, Jr. was born at Wilmington, North Carolina, 16 July 1860, and was graduated from the Naval Academy in 1882. He was appointed ensign, 1 July 1884 and was promoted through the ranks to rear admiral, 28 November 1918.    Serving first in Marblehead then commanding Sandoval during the Spanish-American War 1898, he was advanced five numbers in rank for "extraordinary heroism" and received the Medal of Honor for his role Commanding the Second Regiment of Bluejackets at the capture of Vera Cruz, Mexico in 1915.    Appointed commandant European forces in 1922 and commander-in-chief, Asiatic Fleet, 1922–23, he retired from active duty in 1923 and died at Wilmington 23 September 1933.

and generally operated with Hornet until her loss in the late October 1942 Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands.
   For the rest of the Guadalcanal Campaign, and beyond, Anderson remained in the South Pacific, screening heavy ships, escorting convoys, bombarding the enemy ashore and carrying out patrols. She returned to the US for overhaul in March 1943 and went north for Aleutians operations during July–September. The destroyer’s next assignments were to support the invasions of the Gilbert Islands in November 1943 and the Marshalls in early 1944. She was hit by Japanese coast-defense gunfire while bombarding Wotje on 30 January. Further damaged by grounding two days later, Anderson was under repair until mid–June 1944. July–November 1944 was spent with the Seventh Fleet, including participation in landings at Morotai and Leyte. During the latter operation, on 1 November, she was hit by a Japanese suicide plane and again had to return to the west coast for repairs.
   Back in service in the spring of 1945, Anderson was assigned to the North Pacific theatre, where she participated in a number of bombardments and anti-shipping sweeps. Following Japan’s surrender, she took part in occupation activities for a few months before steaming eastward across the Pacific to San Diego, California. In early 1946, Anderson voyaged back to Pearl Harbor, where she stayed until May, then proceeded on to the Marshall Islands for use as a target ship in the “Operation Crossroads” nuclear weapons tests. Anderson was expended on 1 July 1946 in the “Able” atomic bomb explosion at Bikini Atoll.