FOR A GOOD CAUSE -- Keeping history alive

Amy R. Spurgeon

Alvin “Bud” Anderson’s commitment to serving his fellow man didn’t end

with his service during World War II.Since 1988, the 81-year-old

Huntington Beach resident has clocked nearly 30 hours a week of volunteer

work as the Santa Ana Army Air Base guru at the Costa Mesa Historical

Society.

“I spend as much time here as I do at home,” he said.

Anderson was stationed at the 1,336-acre base as an aviation cadet until

1946, after the war had ended. The base stretched from Baker Street to

Harbor Boulevard on the west, and from Wilson Street to Newport Boulevard

on the east.

Over the years, Anderson has watched the city develop as roads, shopping

centers and the Orange County Fairgrounds replaced wartime barracks.

“I spend most of my energy here on the history of the Santa Ana Army Air

Base,” he said.

The Historical Society is housed in a timeworn, one-story building near

Triangle Square. It contains a wealth of information about Costa Mesa’s

history, including photographs, books, military uniforms, maps and

exhibits.

Anderson’s work for the society includes public outreach, answering

telephones and leading tours of the center. A shortage in the center’s

volunteer base forces it to close its doors three days a week.

“It’s a dirty, crying shame,” Anderson said. “This is one fantastic place

here.”

Anderson and others affiliated with the center hope the city will move it

to a larger building at the fairgrounds. Many historical pieces sit

shelved in boxes because there is no room to display them.

But Anderson prefers to focus on his work and the possibility that each

day at the center brings with it the chance to enlighten someone new with

his wealth of information.

“The people that come in here think it’s wonderful,” he said. “I’ll

probably be here until I die or they throw me out. One or the other.

“The satisfaction of doing something for somebody is why I volunteer,”

Anderson added. “Plus, I’m a soft touch. I can’t turn anybody down. I’ve

been that way all of my life.”