Ralph Anderson of Hyde Park passed away on June 9, 2010. He was 88 years old.
Ralph grew up in Dorchester and graduated from Boston Trade High School. Upon graduation, he immediately went to work for the Bethlehem Steel Corporation. He married Elizabeth Shalhoub on August 31, 1942 and was soon drafted into the Army.
As a private on June 6, 1944 he landed with the 115th Regiment, 29th Division in the second wave on Omaha Beach at 10:00am. He fought with the 115th Regimental Combat team continuously throughout the Normandy campaign (including the hedgerow battles and the crucial capture of St. Lo). Then he went on with the Regiment to the capture of Brest, the battles for liberation of France, the major battles at Aachen and the crossing of the Roer River and fight for Julich in Germany on through Germany to the meeting with Russian forces on the Elbe River on April 24, 1945.
He received three Purple Hearts for wounds received in action, and the Bronze Star for Valor. The 115th regiment received The Presidential Unit Citation Badge for Gallantry in Action on June 6, 1944. This citation stipulates ‘outstanding performance of duty’, and, ‘the courage, the tenacity, aggressiveness, and extraordinary heroism of all personnel of the 115th regiment, at a time when the success of this great military undertaking was in the balance.’ The regiment also received from the French Republic on July 15, 1946 and Jul 22, 1946, respectively, the Award of the Croix de Guerre with Silver Star as ‘a magnificent unit of unbreakable morale’ in the region of St. Lo, and the Award of the Croix de Guerre with Palm for it’s ‘extraordinary heroism’ in action on June 6, 1944 at Omaha Beach, Normandy, ‘contributing greatly to the defeat of the enemy and the liberation of France’
He also served in the Korean War and retired from the Army in 1963.
Subsequent to his military career he worked as a precision machinist at Lightning Research, Westinghouse, and IAM.
He was a fan of contemporary films, a prolific reader, and always enjoyed a game of whist.
He leaves his wife Elizabeth (Shalhoub). Loving father of Elizabeth Conrad and her husband Gordon of Lexington, Ingrid Golembeski and her husband John of Marshfield, Ralph Anderson Jr. of Quincy, Robert Anderson of Hyde Park, and the late Nicolene Anderson. Cherished “Grampa” of John Bumstead, Jennifer Hartmann, Andrea Deware, Joann Waller, Robert Golembeski, Kim Puglia, Daniel Anderson, and Michael Anderson. Great-Grandfather of Cori Hartmann, Nicholas Pronk, Kelsey Hartmann, Britney Waller, Alex Waller, Kasey Hartmann, Connor Deware, William Golembeski, Julianna Golembeski, Morgan Deware, Kaden Puglia, Autumn Puglia, and Tomas Deware, Great-great-grandfather of Cameron Hartmann. Dear brother of Helen Bethel of Arkansas and the late Synerva Bothe. Ralph is also survived by several loving nieces and nephews.
Ralph’s Funeral Service was held June 15, 2010 at the Kfoury Keefe Funeral Home 8 Spring St. (at the corner of Centre St.) West Roxbury. Contributions in Ralph’s memory may be made to the American Diabetes Association, 330 Congress St, 5th Floor, Boston, MA 02210.
Interment concluded services with full military honors at Massachusetts National Cemetery in Bourne.