Joseph B. Anderson Jr.
Joseph B. Anderson Jr.
Joseph B. Anderson Jr. was born in Topeka, Kansas, and has lived in Bloomfield Hills for more than 30 years. He graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point, in 1965 and became a commissioned officer in the US Army. His military service spanned 13 years, including two combat tours in Vietnam with the 1st Cavalry Division. Later in his military career, Anderson commanded troops in the 82nd Airborne Division. In addition to troop command, Anderson served as aide-de-camp for two general officers and as an assistant professor in the Department of Social Sciences at West Point. While in the Army, Lieutenant Colonel Anderson was selected to be a White House Fellow and worked as Special Assistant to Secretary of Commerce, Juanita Kreps, for one year.
His military awards include 2 Silver Star Medals, 5 Bronze Star Medals, 3 Army Commendation Medals, and 11 Air Medals. Anderson and the infantry platoon he commanded in Vietnam were subjects of the highly acclaimed documentary film "The Anderson Platoon." This documentary has been shown in more than 20 countries and won several awards, including an Oscar and an Emmy. After 13 years of distinguished service and early selection for promotion to Lieutenant Colonel, Joseph Anderson resigned his commission and continued to work for Secretary Kreps until joining General Motors, where he would serve for an additional 13 years. He continued to utilize his leadership qualities as a businessman and a pillar in his community. After owning 12 companies and serving in several different executive and board leadership positions, Anderson’s broad range of life experiences allowed him to support numerous veteran and community causes in his spare time and to serve as a mentor to many others.