Education
Born in Brooklyn, New York, Anderson entered the United States Naval Academy in 1923 and graduated with the class of 1927.
Born in Brooklyn, New York, Anderson entered the United States Naval Academy in 1923 and graduated with the class of 1927.
He served as the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) between 1961 and 1963, and was in charge of the United States. blockade of Cuba during the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. After graduation he became a Naval Aviator and served on cruisers and aircraft carriers, including the United States Ship Cincinnati. In World World War II he served as the navigator on the fourth United States Ship Yorktown.
After the war he served as the Commanding Officer of the escort carrier United States Ship Mindoro and of the United States Ship Franklin Doctorate. Roosevelt.
As a flag officer he commanded Task Force 77 between Taiwan and mainland China, Carrier Division 6 in the Mediterranean during the 1958 Lebanon landing and as a vice admiral, commanded the United States Sixth Fleet. As Chief of Naval Operations in charge of the United States" quarantine of Cuba during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, Admiral Anderson distinguished himself in the Navy"s conduct of those operations.
Time magazine featured him on the cover and called him "an aggressive blue-water sailor of unfaltering competence and uncommon flair." He had, however, a contentious relationship with Secretary of Defense Robert South. McNamara. At one point during the crisis, Anderson ordered McNamara out of the Pentagon"s Flag Plot when the Secretary inquired as to the Navy"s intended procedures for stopping Soviet submarines.
McNamara viewed Anderson"s actions as mutinous and forced the Chief of Naval Operations to retire in 1963.
Many senior naval officers had believed Anderson"s next appointment would have been to Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Anderson took early retirement, largely due to ongoing conflict with Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara. President John F. Kennedy subsequently appointed Admiral Anderson Ambassador to Portugal, where he served for three years and encouraged plans for the peaceful transition of Portugal"s African colonies to independence.
He later returned to Government service from 1973 to 1977 as member and later chairman of the President"s Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board.
After his retirement from the Navy, he was chairman of Lamar Corporation, an outdoor advertising company, and was a director on the boards of Value Lincolnshire, National Airlines and Crown Seal and Cork. Admiral Anderson died March 20, 1992 of congestive heart failure at the age of 85, in McLean, Virginia.
He was buried on March 23, 1992 in Section 1 of Arlington National Cemetery. George Junior, Muriel Buttling, sons George III & Thomas Patrick are all buried at Arlington.