ROTC To Welcome Two Distinguished Military Guests Feb. 5

Brig. Gen. (ret.) James U. Cross, who served as President Lyndon B. Johnson's personal pilot, and Chief Master Sgt. Robert Anderson, who represents the enlisted corps or the 147th Fighter Wing, will speak to Baylor University's ROTC cadets on Wednesday, Feb. 5. Cross will speak to ROTC classes at 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. about his experiences in Vietnam, while Anderson will lecture to all cadets during the weekly leadership laboratory at 4 p.m. in Bennett Auditorium.
Cross served as commander of the 75th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing at Bergstrom Air Force Base in Austin. He served in World War II, flying in the China-Burma-India Theater, and in 1961 was selected to serve as pilot and military aide to the vice president of the United States. In 1965, he was appointed personal pilot to LBJ. In 1968, he began a short tour in the Vietnam conflict.
His military decorations include the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Legion of Merit, an Air Medal and a Presidential Service Badge. He has more than 10,000 flying hours in various military aircraft.
Anderson is the Command Chief Master Sergeant of the 147th Fighter Wing, Texas Air National Guard. He served in the U.S. Air Force as a security police officer from 1969-79. From 1984-2000, he served with the Air Force Reserve, and he joined the Texas Air National Guard in August 2000. His major military awards and decorations include a Meritorious Service Medal, an Air Force Commendation Medal, an Air Force Achievement Medal and a Presidential Unit Citation.