But Grandpa Max had an older brother, Harold, who served in the Pacific during World War II. I never heard him talk of the war- he never did. A few years before he died, an article about him was in the Idaho Falls Post Register and I want my kids to read it someday, so I'm posting it here for them.
To him and all the other veterans, thanks.
I.F. veteran to get Bronze Star after 54 years
| David Eggert |
World War II. With each passing day, month and year, more and more people in the world seem to forget about it. But the GI generation still remembers. That doesn' t mean they like to talk about it. World War II veteran Harold Christiansen, 76, of Idaho Falls, is one of them. "Like many people from his generation, he thinks ... he was there, he did that, and that he doesn' t need to talk about it," said Lonnie Scott, Christiansen' s son-in-law. But this morning, Christiansen' s acts in New Guinea and the Philippines will be recognized. Rep. Mike Simpson will present him with the Bronze Star, a second Purple Heart and five other medals at the Army Reserve Office. He never received the medals because he was reassigned to a different unit after the battles. The Purple Heart was established as the Badge of Military Merit by George Washington during the Revolutionary War to honor extraordinarily brave soldiers. It became the Purple Heart in 1932. The Bronze Star is awarded to soldiers who are heroic or have meritorious achievements during military operations. "I felt it was really necessary," Scott said of his father-in-law getting his medals. "He didn' t mention it to me at all. He wanted to kind of put it behind him, which is OK. But I told him it would be great for his children and grandchildren. Then he let up some." In early May, Scott contacted Simpson' s office for assistance. They tracked down Army officials and dug up information about the missing medals. They found the transcript, dated Oct. 9, 1945, recommending, that Christiansen, Company G, 162nd Infantry, be awarded the Bronze Star for his actions in the Philippines on March 14, 1945. "During the evacuation of the wounded it became necessary to cross open terrain, which was under intense enemy rifle and sniper fire. Sgt. Christiansen, with total disregard for personal safety, and at great risk to his life made two trips and evacuated the two wounded men to a position where blood plasma could be administered. The outstanding and inspiring courage of Sgt. Christiansen, was above and beyond the normal requirements of a rifle squad leader," the transcript said. Just before this action, Christiansen had stormed a jungle hill and engaged a Japanese machine gun, killing the three-man crew. The other machine gun operators retreated and he captured the weapons. "His prompt action prevented additional casualties and was largely responsible for the successful accomplishment of our mission. ... The outstanding, aggressive leadership, and inspiring personal courage which Sgt. Christiansen displayed were in keeping with the highest traditions of the service," the recommendation said. Christiansen served in the 162nd Infantry from July 1943 to January 1946. Originally from Newton, Utah, he returned to America and got a job with the Union Pacific Railroad, where he worked for 37 years. He lived in Idaho Falls, got married, had five children, 17 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren. Scott said that Christiansen switched to a new duty station after his heroics, and somehow never got his medals. When the Japanese surrendered in August 1945, the 162nd Infantry with the rest of its division, was preparing for an amphibious assault on the Japanese mainland.
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