By Ron Kaplan
The passing on May 17, 2024, of 102-year-old WWII triple ace, test pilot, and Vietnam combat veteran, Brigadier General Clarence “Bud” Anderson USAF (ret.), reverberated across the world of aviation. Many in the warbird community called his passing the end of an era. There is no doubt the loss of the revered fighter pilot was most felt by those who not only had the privilege of knowing him, but who had flown with Bud in various restored P-51 Mustangs over the years, especially those painted in the markings of his 357th Fighter Group steed, Old Crow.
Several of those warbird pilots particularly close to Bud, led by longtime friend, Connie Bowlin, gathered on July 23 at Oshkosh to hold a very special public tribute and celebration of his long and colorful life. The ceremony was fittingly held at EAA Warbirds In Review, an AirVenture venue familiar to the thousands over the years who had seen and met Bud there animatedly sharing tales of his aerial exploits, typically seated in front of the very type of aircraft he mastered in the skies over Europe.
This time, the backdrop included not one but three Mustangs in 357th liveries: Jack Roush’s D-model Gentleman Jim, Jim Hagedorn’s D-model Old Crow, and Bob Bull’s C-model Old Crow. With the grandstands filled to capacity, many others stood to watch as the celebration began with an excellent short jumbotron video bio produced by Sleeping Dog Productions, who had filmed various projects with and about Bud over many years. Connie then deftly moderated the panel discussion consisting of Roush, Hagedorn, Bull, and fellow warbird pilot, Ray Fowler, each offering the riveted crowd heartfelt and often humorous personal reflections on the late pilot, friend, and hero. Connie encouraged everyone to attend the Friday warbird show at which several warbirds, in Bud’s honor, would perform an engine run-up before Mustangs would take off to perform a missing man formation.
Then, with a pitch-perfect touch of military formality led by retired Air Force Brigadier General Ed McIlhenney, a group of WWII re-enactors somberly performed a flag folding ceremony as the audience and participants stood in rapt respect. After receiving the folded flag from McIlhenney, Connie explained to the visibly moved audience that she would personally present it to the Anderson family the following week. If that moment was not an appropriate enough conclusion, Theresa Eaman, the talented 1940s vocalist and long a Warbirds In Review regular, then closed out the tribute with an emotional rendition of what she said was a favorite of Bud’s, I’ll Be Seeing You. The gathering of friends and fans at Oshkosh could not have been a more fitting way to salute the late, great, but never forgotten, Bud Anderson. Long may his Old Crow soar through blue skies.
By the way, the cammoed Mustang named “Old Crow”, is a B model, not a C model, because, if you look up the serial number, you’ll found out that aircraft was built a P-51B.