Anderson Watkins Atkinson (1923 - 1992)

Born 21 Dec 1923 in Fordyce, Dallas, Arkansas, United States

Husband of Shirley Marie (Seaman) Atkinson — married 6 Jun 1946 in Highlands, Orange, New York, United States

Died 30 Mar 1992 at age 68 in Niceville, Okaloosa, Florida, United States

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Biography

Anderson Atkinson is Notable.

Major General Anderson Watkins Atkinson was a distinguished military officer in the United States Air Force. Throughout his career, Atkinson has made significant contributions to the Air Force and played a vital role in shaping its operations and strategies. His dedication, leadership, and expertise earned him respect and admiration from his peers and subordinates.

Anderson Watkins Atkinson was born on December 21, 1923, in Fordyce, Dallas County, Arkansas. His father was Henry Harrison Atkinson, and his mother Grace E. (Elliott) Atkinson.^[1] The family lived on Charlotte Street, and his father was a doctor in the small town of Fordyce.^[2] His father died when he was about ten years old.^[3]

After his father's death, the family continued to live in Fordyce, where he grew up.^[4] Atkinson excelled academically and graduated from Fordyce High School as Valedictorian. After he graduated, he told his mother he was going to New York for the summer to work on the Hudson River Day Line, a premier quality steamboat line that ran on the Hudson River. After he left, he didn't come home, instead he enrolled in Syracuse University. Writing home to tell his mother, he told her not to worry, he didn't need any money and would get a job to pay for his schooling. After enrolling in college, he joined the Army Air Corps Cadet Program and was sent to Santa, California. Soon thereafter, he was offered an appointment to West Point and accepted, joining the class of 1946 on July 10, 1943.^[3]

He arrived at the Beast Barracks ten days late, and as if that was not enough to leave an impression on his classmates, he boastfully told them he could land an A-6 in the Central area. One of his classmates, Lew Allen, who later became Chief of Staff of the Air Force, told the story: "I remember Andy during plebe year for his marvelous sense of humor and his inability to take hazing seriously. Upperclassmen consistently failed to remove his grin and almost always ended up laughing with him."^[3] He still took his education seriously, along with the rigorous education and training. He opted for Air Cadet training yearling year. Sophormoe, Third Class, or your second year. Sometimes referred to as "Yuk".^[3] He graduated in June 1946 with a bachelor of science degree, and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army Air Corps.^[5]

Two days after graduating from the academy, he married Shirley M. Seaman on June 6, 1946 in Highlands, Orange County, New York.^[6][3] He then started transition training in P-51s at Williams Air Force Base, Arizona, and later at Ajo, Arizona to complete gunnery training. In November 1946, he reported to the 63rd Fighter Squadron, 56th Fighter Group, at Selfridge Air Force Base, Michigan. The following year, he started to fly the P-80A's.^[5]

In 1950, he lived in Anchorage, Alaska.^[7] He was stationed at Elmendorf Air Force Base and assigned to the 66th Fighter Squadron, 57th Fighter Group. In 1951, he transferred to the 27th Fighter Squaldron at Griffiss Air Force Base, New York, flying F-86s. The unit converted to F-89s, back to the F-86s, and then to the F-94C interceptors before his departure in August 1954.^[5]

Following advanced degree work at the University of Michigan, where he received his master's, he was assigned to the Air Defense Element at the Lincoln Laboratory of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Hanscom Field, Massachusetts. He worked on operational design and weapons integration of the semi-automatic ground environment system from June 1956 to September 1960. He then transferred to the U.S. Air Force headquarters in Washington D.C., and served in the Directorate of Operational Requirements, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, Operations, until July 1964. He then spent the next two years in the Office of Deputy Chief of Staff, Operations, Headquarters United States Air Force in Europe, Wiesbaden Air Base, Germany, prior to attending the Industrial College of the Armed Forces in 1967.^[5][8]

In 1967, he became the deputy commander for operations of the 15th Tactical Fighter Wing at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida. In April 1968, he assumed duty as the chief, Command Center Branch, Seventh Air Force, Tan Son Nhut Air Base Republic of Vietnam. In November that same year, he was assigned as deputy commander for operations of the 366th Tactical Fighter Wing, Da Nang Air Base, Republic of Vietnam. He flew 114 combat missions in Southeast Asia in the F-4.^[5]

After his tour in Vietnam, he returned to the United States in June 1969, and was assigned to the 3560th Pilot Training Wing, Webb Air Force Base, Texas, as deputy commander for operations until March 1970, when he took command of the wing. In August 1971, General Atkinson became vice commander of the Sheppard Technical Training Center, Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas.^[5]

In July 1973, he was assigned to the Organization of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Washington, D.C. He was chief of the Pacific Division (J-3) and in July 1975 became assistant deputy director in the Directorate of Operations (National Military Command Systems). In June 1977, he was assigned as deputy director for operations.

During his military career, he was a command pilot with 5,000 flying hours. His military decorations and awards include the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters, Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star Medal, Air Medal with two oak leaf clusters, and the Republic of Vietnam Medal of Honor with gold star. He was promoted to the rank of Major General on May 1, 1978, with date of rank September 1, 1974.^[5]

After a distinguished military career spanning several decades, Major General Anderson Watkins Atkinson retired from the United States Air Force on August 31, 1980.^[9] However, his contributions to the Air Force continued to have a lasting impact.

He died on March 30, 1992^[10] in Niceville^[3], Okaloosa County, Florida.^[11] He was buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Arlington County, Virginia.^[12]

Sources

1. ↑ U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007: Ancestry.com. U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015. Original data: Social Security Applications and Claims, 1936-2007. Ancestry Record 60901 #38269583
2. ↑ 1930 United States Federal Census: Year: 1930; Census Place: Fordyce, Dallas, Arkansas; Page: 4B; Enumeration District: 0005; FHL microfilm: 2339807 Ancestry Record 6224 #104404224
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5} Patterson, Michael Robert, Arlington National Cemetery, 16 Jun 2023. "Anderson, Watkins Atkinson, Major General, United States Air Force."
4. ↑ 1940 United States Federal Census: Year: 1940; Census Place: Fordyce, Dallas, Arkansas; Roll: m-t0627-00133; Page: 10B; Enumeration District: 20-5 Ancestry Record 2442 #101818261
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6} Air Force Biographies, 1 Sep 1974, "Major General Anderson W. Atkinson." Accessed 20 Jun 2023.
6. ↑ New York State, Marriage Index, 1881-1967: New York State Department of Health; Albany, NY, USA; New York State Marriage Index Ancestry Record 61632 #5801480
7. ↑ 1950 United States Federal Census: United States of America, Bureau of the Census; Washington, D.C.; Seventeenth Census of the United States, 1950; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790-2007; Record Group Number: 29; Residence Date: 1950; Home in 1950: Anchorage, Alaska; Roll: 6280; Sheet Number: 28; Enumeration District: 3-19 Ancestry Record 62308 #307154787
8. ↑ Wikipedia Contributors, Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, last edited on 28 Feb 2022. "Wikipedia:Anderson_W._Atkinson." Accessed 20 Jun 2023.
9. ↑ U.S., Department of Veterans Affairs BIRLS Death File, 1850-2010: Ancestry.com. U.S., Department of Veterans Affairs BIRLS Death File, 1850-2010 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011. Original data: Beneficiary Identification Records Locator Subsystem (BIRLS) Death File. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Ancestry Record 2441 #10803041
10. ↑ U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014: Social Security Administration; Washington D.C., USA; Social Security Death Index, Master File Ancestry Record 3693 #1941208
11. ↑ Florida, U.S., Death Index, 1877-1998: Ancestry.com. Florida, U.S., Death Index, 1877-1998 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004. Original data: State of Florida. Florida Death Index, 1877-1998. Florida: Florida Department of Health, Office of Vital Records, 1998. Ancestry Record 7338 #3719760
12. ↑ Burial: Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/43338122/anderson-w-atkinson: accessed 21 June 2023), memorial page for MG Anderson W Atkinson (1923–30 Mar 1992), Find A Grave: Memorial #43338122, citing Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Arlington County, Virginia, USA; Maintained by Jeff Ikeler (contributor 51396547).