Cliff Anchor

Born in Walton, Waterloo, England, Anchor immigrated to
Canada at age 17 and changed his name to Michael Erickson.
He became a U.S. citizen in 1966. In the early 1960s, Anchor
moved to San Francisco to work in radio and began KRJBFM radio in Monte Rio, CA, the first station in the country
to air National Gay Network News. Anchor joined the
California National Guard in 1973, reaching the rank of Lt.
Colonel. In 1979, he met his friend Leonard Matlovich and
moved to Guerneville, CA. Anchor came out and reclaimed
his birth name in 1988. He was an advocate for gay rights
within the U.S. Military, worked with AVER and San
Francisco’s gay Alexander Hamilton American Legion Post
448, and was featured in the books One Million Strong and
Conduct Unbecoming. While a memorial bench is placed
in Congressional Cemetery, it is not believed that Anchor’s
remains are interred here.