Honoring Bud Anderson

A garden and museum honoring World War II triple ace Brig. Gen. C.E. “Bud” Anderson came closer to reality during a dedication ceremony on Tuesday at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh. Anderson died in May 2024 at the age of 102 and had been a frequent speaker at Warbirds in Review for decades.

“We made significant progress toward our goal of $1.8 million for the improvements to the Warbirds area that will pay tribute to all of our veterans and also serve our members while remembering our past,” said Warbirds of America Board Director Connie Bowlin. People can donate or learn more at the Warbirds of America museum. Every donation, no matter the size, is appreciated, she said, and donations are deposited directly into the restricted Anderson Designated Memorial Fund.

Bowlin said they knew the Warbirds buildings were in need of improvement for quite a while. “With the passing of Bud, the improvements were a fitting way to pay tribute to him and serve our members,” she said. “We know that this is what Bud would have wanted us to do and that he would be very pleased.”

By EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2026, the memorial garden will include a life-sized bronze statue of Anderson wearing his flight uniform, donated by Douglas Van Howd of Van Howd Studios in Auburn, California, Bowlin said. Other planned improvements for the garden include a memorial wall where members can purchase a plaque to honor a friend or loved one.

The museum, currently housed in the west end of the Warbirds merchandise area, includes snapshots of Warbirds members along with artwork and Anderson memorabilia. Anderson’s family is also committed to donating additional items from his estate for display.

Phase 2 of the plan calls for expanding the John Baugh Briefing Building to include meeting rooms with the ability to open partitions to increase the size of the briefing room. Phase 3 includes replacing Jowett Hall with the Ret. Brig. Gen. C.E. “Bud” Anderson operations building. The new building will feature a storage area for Warbirds support equipment and office space.

“With the funding we have received so far, it will allow us to move forward with plans for the new operations center,” Bowlin said. “Come back next year, and we will at least have the drawing done or may have already broken ground. With the support we have gotten so far, we can start moving forward.”

Funds not used for construction will be used for maintenance of the building for years to come, she said.

During the dedication ceremony, Bowlin thanked Kyle Guyette and others for their work and support. Theresa Eaman ended the ceremony singing “I’ll Be Seeing You,” a favorite song of Bud’s, who requested she sing it every time he was here.