Bruce D. Anderson was born on November 17, 1950, in Detroit, Michigan, to Dr. Gordon and Zola Anderson. His brother Vance and sisters, Linda and Kathy joined him in the family. The Anderson family moved to Santa Cruz in 1955 where Bruce attended local elementary schools prior to entering Mission Hill Junior High School. Later he also attended Virgil Hauselt Junior Academy. During his youth, he was described as active in Pony and Little League baseball, an expert swimmer and an avid outdoor sportsman. Bruce was also active in the Boy Scouts of America. Anderson graduated from Santa Cruz High School in 1968 and enrolled in Cabrillo College.

The date Bruce Anderson entered the US Army is not known, nor is the level of training that he had achieved. On May 4, 1971 Private Bruce Anderson was a passenger in a vehicle with two companions traveling on Highway 17 when their car was struck head on by a pickup truck. He was taken to a San Jose hospital where he died the following week on May 10. Following the funeral, his body was interred in Oakwood Memorial Park.

(SCSn May 4, 1971 1:1, May 13, 1971 18:3, Oakwood MP headstone)