Decorated WWII pilot honored in Central Valley

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Col. Bud Anderson is famous enough to have his own statue in his hometown of Auburn.

And at 95, he still knows how to arrive. From the 1941 Beechcraft to a waiting 1941 Cadillac, the guest of honor at Saturday's ceremony had a smooth ride to an adoring crowd.

The local chapter of the Experimental Aircraft Association brought the colonel to Fresno for a luncheon to honor his service. He says the crowd in the Valley gave him the best reception of his life.

While he's a modest man, Colonel Anderson has a few war stories to tell. Most of them are written in his book, To Fly and Flight: Memories of a Triple Ace, which flew off the shelves Saturday.