Willie Anderson
Ballplayers Wounded in Combat
| Date and Place of Birth: | July 25, 1922 Blackduck, MN |
| Date and Place of Death: | August 1, 2010 Detroit Lakes, MN |
| Baseball Experience: | Minor League |
| Position: | Outfield |
| Rank: | Private |
| Military Unit: | 60th Infantry Regiment, 9th Infantry Division US Army |
| Area Served: | European Theater of Operations |
Willard G. "Willie" Anderson, the son of George and Lena Anderson, was
born on July 25, 1922, in Blackduck, Minnesota. He graduated from
Blackduck High School in 1940 and signed with the St. Louis Cardinals
the following year. He played briefly with the Crookston Pirates of the
Class C Northern League in 1941, and joined the Duluth Dukes of the same
league in 1942, playing 119 games as an outfielder, batting .286 with 70
RBIs.
Anderson entered military service with the army in 1943 and served with
the 60th Infantry Regiment, 9th Infantry Division in France, Belgium,
and Germany. He was wounded in action and became a prisoner of war in
April 1945. He received two purple hearts and a bronze star.
Following his discharge he returned to Blackduck, where he worked and
played local baseball. In 1948, Anderson returned to the minors to play
33 games with Duluth, batting .254. The following year, he and his wife,
Vienna, moved to Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, where he played baseball and
started his career with the Minnesota Department of Transportation,
working there for the next 35 years.
Willie Anderson passed away on August 1, 2010, at the Emmanuel Nursing
Home in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota. He was 88 years old.
Date Added February 27, 2018
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