Private First Class James Anderson Jr. (January 22, 1947 – February 28, 1967) was a United States Marine who posthumously received the Medal of Honor for heroism while serving in Vietnam in February 1967. When his Medal of Honor was awarded on August 21, 1968, he became the first African American U.S. Marine recipient of the Medal of Honor.Joining the U. S. Marine Corps in 1966, Anderson took part in Operation Prairie II. During this operation, Anderson's platoon was advancing through the jungle near Cam Lo Combat Base when they were ambushed by North Vietnamese forces. Anderson jumped on a grenade thrown by a Vietnamese soldier and was killed in action. This action saved other Marines' lives, and Anderson was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously for his deed.