Army Sgt. 1st Class Victor A. Anderson

Died July 30, 2005 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

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39, of Ellaville, Ga.; assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 121st Infantry Regiment, 48th Infantry Brigade, Georgia Army National Guard, Albany, Ga.; killed July 30 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his Humvee while he was on patrol in Baghdad. Also killed were Staff Sgt. David R. Jones Sr., Sgt. Ronnie L. Shelley Sr. and Sgt. Jonathon C. Haggin.

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Georgia soldier killed in Iraq explosion

Associated Press

A medical condition initially prevented Victor Anderson from deploying to Iraq, but he refused to stay behind. “He felt like not only was it his duty and his calling, but he wanted to be there with his fellow troops,” said Col. Eric Bryant of the Sumter County Sheriff’s Department, where Anderson worked as a deputy.

Anderson, 39, of Ellaville, Ga., was killed in an explosion in Baghdad on July 30. He was based at Albany.

He was deemed medically unfit for deployment because of diabetes. Determined to go to Iraq, Anderson lost weight, stuck to his diet and hired an attorney to fight the Army’s medical board in time to make it to training in California.

Four days before he died, Anderson e-mailed the sheriff’s department saying he’d witnessed the July 24 explosion that killed four others in his battalion.

“He mentioned how the loss of life was so regular over there, but he had a job to do and it was his intention to do it,” Bryant said. “He was just a super dedicated guy. He wasn’t one to run and hide.”

Anderson is survived by his wife, Ellen, and two children.