Al Anderson served four years in the reserves and twenty-two years on active duty in the United States Navy. He served tours of duty in HS-7, RVAH-5, VP-9, VP-11, deployed onboard the USS Randolph CVS-15, USS America CVA-66, USS Constellation CVA-64, USS Ranger CV-61; served on shore duty at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Washington and Naval Air Systems Command in Chrystal City, Virginia. He is a Viet Nam vet who served with RVAH-5 onboard the USS Constellation during her 1967 deployment to the Tonkin Gulf off the coast of Viet Nam. On his last tour of duty he served as the Command Master Chief of the USS Nassau LHA-4. The ship was commanded by Captain R.J. "Mac" McCarthy, had a thousand-man crew and fifteen-hundred Marines when she was fully employed.