Andrew Anzanos was  born 22 February 1924 in Gary, Indiana. Attended Lew Wallace High School and although being of diminutive size (5’4"), lettered three times on the football team that became State Champs. He also lettered in track.

He was a scheduled February 1943 graduate. On December 7th 1942, it was announced that anyone who enlisted or was drafted, in his class, would receive their diplomas. The next day he, with 10 or 12 others, enlisted in the Army Air Corps. 

He served basic training in Miami Beach, then went to Aerial Gunnery School at Fort Meyers, Fla. and then to Seymour Johnson Field for Aircraft Mechanics School. Andy was mechanically inclined, having overhauled several auto engines, in his earlier days, which made it easy for him in his mechanics training. His young days with guns as an amateur hunter made his aerial gunnery training a pleasure.

His combat crew formation and overseas training occurred at Ephrata and Walla Walla, Washington.

He began his combat diary while aboard the Queen Elisabeth on the way to England in early November 1943.

In addition to the diary, Andy writes about his most memorable experiences while in the Air Corps training for combat and of the assignments on return from overseas.

After service his interesting experiences continued. Andy went to Parks College of St. Louis University. At Parks, Andy took the degreed course of Aeronautical Engineering, obtained a pilot’s license, and obtained four FAA certificates. He was the only one, at least in his class, to pass the four written exams at one sitting: Aircraft and Aircraft Engine and instructors rating for both the Aircraft and Engine certificates.

After graduation, the fledging company of McDonnell Aircraft Company employed Andy in St. Louis. McDonnell was looking for engineers to hire in their Fiscal operations. Andy accepted a probationary offer in the contract-estimating department. He advanced rapidly through spare parts estimating for the FH-1 Phantom I airplane, contract changes for the F2H Banshee models, total contract values and the negotiations thereof for the later fiscal year buy of the F2H. Contract changes for the F3H Demon production contracts, then followed.

During this early period at McDonnell, Andy loving his engineering and construction, designed and completely built his own home doing all the work essentially by himself including all services. This home had two fireplaces, 3 bedroom, and lower level recreation with window wall. The home was located overlooking the Missouri River. 

Also during this early McDonnell period, because of his math skills and the need for estimating tools, Andy got involved with production learning curves and developed the "McDonnell Curve" that became popular throughout the aircraft industry. This tool, because of true mathematical derivation, became the basis for subsequent computer models and pricing programs.

Andy was also involved with private aircraft. First as part owner of a Stinson Voyager that he overhauled the engine; then came a Piper Tripacer and another engine overhaul and a complete fabric recover, which was accomplished in his basement; then came a "totaled" Cessna 180 were he and a partner bought from an insurance company.  This airplane had a broken back, both wings and all control surfaces severally damaged and the engine needed overhaul. After two years, and fabricating most sheet metal parts from raw stock, overhauling the engine and etc, Andy got the airplane, Cessna 180 No. 4931A, certified in 1961.

Meanwhile at McDonnell, Andy continued making advancements. He was pricing F4H Phantom II changes when in 1957 he saw where there was a probable future for the country in Space. He requested from his manager the consideration of assignment to any space requirement that might come along. It wasn’t long before the Air Force issued an RFP (Request for Proposal) for a one man "winged" space vehicle called the Dynasoar. Andy was assigned to make McDonnell’s cost proposal for that competition. In the competetion Boeing was the subsequently winner.

Following the Dynasoar contract award; and with the competition from the Russians in getting into space, McDonnell Aircraft Co. invested their own money, 70,000 engineering man hours, in a study called "Man in Space Soonest". The "winged" Boeing Dynasoar was faltering. McDonnell working, without contract, with NACA scientific types, generated the seed and program for establishing NASA. McDonnell’s "Man in Space Soonest" became the basis for NASA’s first RFP called "Mercury". Andy was doing all of McDonnell’s cost studies and the contract proposal. McDonnell won the competition in December 1959, which generated the first successful manned space program; as a result Andy became this country’s first successful manned space program estimator. The Dynasoar program was cancelled and NASA became the space leader over the Air Force attempt.

Andy continued as the prime contract estimator for the two-manned vehicle, Gemini, and all subsequent studies. When the company split their contact pricing department into aircraft and spacecraft, Andy became the department head for McDonnell’s Astronautics Contract Estimating. Major proposals such as Apollo, Gemini B, Skylab, Harpoon Missile, Cruise Missile and the Space Shuttle vehicle were all "hands on" efforts by Andy and his department.

With the company merging with Douglas, the continual increase in government requirements, government audits, and the ever-increasing layers of management, Andy lost a lot of job satisfaction. It became that it now took 50 men to do what one did. In May 1980 Andy took early retirement and moved to Tucson, Arizona with his bride Christina, at the age of 56.

In Tucson, his ambition was to design and build another home. Chris and Andy bought property in the Tortalita foothills. Andy designed a two-story SantaFe style home appropriate for the desert environment. With the aid of Chris’s son, the two of them completely build the home, only subcontracting the concrete slab and the septic tank. The home had two upper terraces, two fireplaces, a massive upper master bedroom with a panoramic view of Tucson 15 miles away and a two car built-in garage. The home also had solar designed shading, extensive Mexican floor tile and exterior stucco with three coats all hand mixed and applied. The home was almost complete in July 1982 when Chris and Andy took a vacation break to visit friends in St. Louis and a family reunion in Indiana.

While in St. Louis, Andy suffered a series of transitional strokes that effected his left side. After a ten-day hospitalization and a few more days of recuperation at friends, he was released to return to Tucson. Fortunately he suffered no residual damage.

Andy went back to finish the Tortalita home on a partial day schedule. The home was eventually finished and sold. The stroke was a factor in the decision to sell the home as it was located too far out from the city.

Andy still needing to keep busy took on a position of substitute instructor at the Tucson Job Corp where he taught Auto Mechanics, Auto Body Shop, Welding and Accounting. It was during this time that he discovered his old bomb group had a museum in Tucson. His attention was then diverted to the 390^th Memorial Museum located on the grounds of Pima Air Museum.

The hangar cement slab had just been laid when Andy discovered the museum. He therefore got in early enough to have a vital hand in erecting walls, building display cases, most of the electrical work, tiling both floor and walls, suspended ceilings, bathroom stalls and most of the displays. The Mission Map, the Stat Board  the Diorama and all the surrounding "Nose Art" display were all designed and the majority of work done by Andy.

Andy became the first manager of the museum in 1987 and much of the construction work was accomplished during his managerial period.

Today Andy is still active and on the staff at the museum.