Charles E. Anderson (1919–1994) was the first African American to receive a Ph.D. in Meteorology.
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The Battle of Iwo Jima took place in February and March 1945 as part of the Pacific Campaign during World War II. Although the Battle of Iwo Jima was initially expected to be a short battle to secure control of the strategically placed island, the battle was one of the deadliest of the war on both sides with the United States losing almost 7,000 troops and the Japanese suffering the staggering loss of nearly 20,000. One of the most remarkable aspects of the death toll after the Battle of Iwo Jima was the relative small size of the island. As a whole, it was only 8 square miles (21 km2) and was largely barren, aside from an inactive volcano and a few very small isolated settlements. Still, the importance of the island as a strategic center made the extensive resources and loses worth it to the Americans, just as future history in the Far East would be the site of future American intervention in the Far East.
After the most intense fighting during the Battle of Iwo Jima at the summit of Mount Suribachi (the location of a famous photograph by Joe Rosenthal that shows American troops hoisting up an American flag) the fighting soon decreased and the Americans took control. By securing the island they were able to go on with their bombing campaigns. What they did not predict, however, was the fierce tenacity with which the Japanese defended this pivotal landmass. Although the Americans finally took the island by the end of the Battle of Iwo Jima and were able to enjoy its strategic positioning in later military actions in the Pacific, this stands as one of the most intense displays of Japanese military might in World War II.
There were many reasons for the Battle of Iwo Jima and all of them are tied to the idea but for the most part, the island had significant strategic importance for both sides. While it may be true that the Japanese did not wish to be seen as an easy enemy and thus fought hard for the territory, it was also of great value to them in their effort to halt the American bombing campaign. Since the island was located under the flight path of many B-29 bombers used in the air assaults, it was a key position for them to perceive incoming attacks. Furthermore, “Japanese fighters on Iwo Jima made almost nightly raids on the Marianas airfields [where downed U.S. bombers were], destroying many B-29s on the ground. As long as Japan controlled Iwo Jima, it posed a threat to the success of the bombing campaign.” The Japanese knew that the future of the conflict wrested on this small island and this explains the fearless resistance with which they held out for so long.
Charles E. Anderson earned a bachelor of science degree in Chemistry in 1941 from Lincoln University and received high accolades as he graduated third in his class. Lincoln University was also the place where he met his wife-to-be, Marjorie Anderson. Upon graduating, World War II had begun and enlisted in U.S. Army Air Forces.He was assigned to the meteorology division and Anderson claims that this came about due to the process of elimination. The Army sent him, along with 150 other cadets to the University of Chicago to study meteorology. While there along with an exceptionally heavy academic course load, Anderson also underwent physical training, weapons training, and specific training in military intelligence. Anderson completed this training in May 1943 and earned his meteorological certification. Upon finishing, he was stationed in Tuskegee, Alabama where he was assigned as a weather officer for the 332nd Fighter Group now known as the Tuskegee Airmen. After his service in Tuskegee, Anderson became a squadron weather officer and trained fighter pilots across the country.
Anderson temporarily left the Army Air Corps after the war to pursue an opportunity in high polymer chemistry at the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn in 1946. After receiving his Master's Degree, Anderson became a research and development officer for Watson Laboratories, supervising the works of many notable German scientists. In 1955, Anderson decided to further pursue his academic studies and applied to the doctoral program in Meteorology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. During this time he wrote his dissertation: "A Study of the Pulsating Growth of Cumulus Clouds." Anderson earned his Ph.D. in 1960, becoming the first African American to earn a Ph.D. in Meteorology.