The Texas VLB Recognizes the Heroism of Medal of Honor Recipient Richard A. Anderson

“I’ve got your six.” — Military saying

On August 24, the Veterans Land Board remembers the sacrifice made by Lance Corporal Richard A. Anderson, who, at age 21, gave up his life to save a fellow Marine from a grenade blast. In 1969, in Quang Tri, Vietnam, his unit was returning heavy fire. Lance Corporal Anderson was pinned down, wounded, and was having wounds tended. He was shot again, and then a hand-thrown grenade landed between him and the Marine who was trying to bandage him. Anderson immediately rolled on top of the grenade and took the body blast, saving his partner’s life.

In the military, serving together often forges a feeling of brotherhood, of camaraderie, and of facing dangerous odds together. Military Members don’t have to personally like one another in order to protect another soldier. The saying “I’ve got your six” originated in WWII when Army aviators said this referring to the back of the airplane, which lay at six o’clock on an imaginary clock if the nose was twelve o’clock. The rear is always difficult to defend since humans only see forward. So it means “I’ve got your back”, or “I’ll protect you”. The term stuck in the military and later leaked over into law enforcement, both of which still use it frequently today.

LCpl Anderson exemplifies this brotherhood. In honor of Anderson’s ultimate sacrifice, he was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor, which was presented to his family in 1971 by then-Vice President Spiro Agnew.

Recognizing Anderson’s spirit of love for his fellow Marine, the VLB named our newest Veterans Home after him, in his chosen hometown of Houston. It was dedicated in early 2020, has 120 beds with 30 reserved for memory care, and is currently accepting applications from Veterans. More information and a downloadable application can be found here.