Rudolf Anderson, Jr.

U.S. Air Force pilot Rudolf Anderson was the only American airman shot down during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Born in 1927 in South Carolina, Anderson joined the military in 1951 and soon began flying reconnaissance missions during the Korean Conflict. Stationed at Laughlin Air Force Base by 1957, he was here when the Cuban Missile Crisis developed in October 1962. On October 27, while piloting a U-2 plane over Cuba to provide surveillance of a medium range ballistic missile site under construction, antiaircraft fire hit his plane, killing him. The Air Force decorated Anderson posthumously and in 2001 renamed Laughlin's operation building Anderson Hall. He is buried in South Carolina. (2006)

Rudolf Anderson, Jr. is a historical marker in Del Rio, Val Verde County, dedicated in 2006. It is one of 61 historical markers documented in Val Verde County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 78 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 29.3678, -100.7989 near Del Rio. The nearest cataloged historic site is Military Aviation in Val Verde County (historical marker), about 0.1 miles away. Others within a short drive include Laughlin Army Air Field, Lt. Jack T. Laughlin, and Oaklawn Memorial Park.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5507013695. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.