COMPTON, CA — Rep. Nanette Barragán (CA-44) and Rep. Maxine Waters (CA-43) last week held a post office dedication ceremony to name the post office in Compton after Private First Class (PFC) James Anderson, Jr., a Compton native who was the first Black Marine to be awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor after his heroic efforts in the Vietnam War.
In December 2022, President Biden signed into law Congresswoman Barragán’s bill to name the post office after PFC Anderson.
On February 28th, 1967, while on patrol outside of the village of Quang Tri Province on Vietnam’s central coast, PFC Anderson’s platoon was ambushed and came under heavy enemy fire. During the firefight, an enemy grenade landed near PFC Anderson and his fellow Marines. Without hesitation, PFC Anderson pulled the grenade to his chest and absorbed the majority of the blast with his body, killing him instantly and saving the lives of his fellow Marines. PFC Anderson was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor by then Secretary of the Navy Paul R. Ignatius on August 21, 1698.
“PFC Anderson was an American hero,” said Rep. Barragán. “His selfless actions in Vietnam saved the lives of his fellow soldiers. As the first Black Marine to win the Congressional Medal of Honor, it was important that we recognize his bravery and sacrifice here in his hometown. It was an honor to stand with PFC Anderson’s family this morning as the Compton post office was officially dedicated in his name. Thank you to Congresswoman Waters, Councilwoman Darden, Mayor Sharif, President Biden, and all of those who made this dedication possible today.”