Originally from
Luverne, Minnesota, Aanenson enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Forces in 1942 but was not called up to active duty until February 1943. He left for
Santa Ana Air Force Base for pre-flight training and then to Primary Flight School at
Thunderbird Field near
Phoenix, Arizona. In September 1943, he attended Basic Flight School at Gardner Field near
Bakersfield, California. Aanenson then received Advanced Flight Training at
Luke Field,
Phoenix, Arizona, where he was commissioned a
second lieutenant on January 7, 1944. From January to May 1944, he trained at Harding Field in
Baton Rouge,
Louisiana, where he met his wife, Jacqueline "Jackie" Greer Aanenson. Aanenson demonstrated exceptional courage and ability as a fighter pilot, amassing tens of kills and beating all odds to survive the early months of his tour of duty. Later in the war, he was taken out of the cockpit and embedded with advance troops, with his skills put to good use as a quick-response aircraft attack coordinator. He eventually documented his experiences for his family. The documentary reported a remarkable coincidence, in which Aanenson's
P-47 was called down to assist some American troops under attack by a tank. He surveyed the scene, then reported to the troops that the
tank was too close to them for him to fire upon it without risking injury to the Americans. However, since the soldiers were sure to be killed if the tank wasn't stopped, Aanenson decided to attack, and he managed to destroy the tank cleanly. About two years after the war, Aanenson met a new neighbor who started to recount the story. About halfway through, Aanenson finished the memorable event for him, and for a time they both shared in the emotion of the event. Aanenson was a Commander of the
French Legion of Honor, representing all Americans who served in
France. He was also featured in the documentary
The War by
Ken Burns, recounting his experiences during
World War II as a fighter pilot. At the conclusion of Episode Five of the series, Aanenson narrated a poignant and ominous letter he had written to his future wife but had never sent, considered by some critics to be of similar style to the
Sullivan Ballou letter in Burns'
The Civil War. Written December 5, 1944, the letter reads: ==Later years==