World War II Honoree

Niels M. Christensen

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Fresno, California

Honored By

Orville L. Kline

RANK: PRIVATE 1ST CLASS. GERMAN PRISONER OF WAR FOR 10 MONTHS. HE WAS INDUCTED INTO THE ARMY OCTOBER 10, 1942 AT FRESNO, CALIFORNIA AND BECAME A PARATROOPER, WHO SERVED WITH I-COMPANY, 3RD BATTALION, 506TH PARACHUTE INFANTRY REGIMENT, 101ST AIRBORNE ‘SCREAMING EAGLES’ DIVISION. HIS C-47 TROOP TROOPER TRANSPORT WAS HIT AND SEVERELY DAMAGED BY ENEMY MACHINE-GUN FIRE AND ANTI-AIRCRAFT FLAK AS IT APPROACHED DROP ZONE-D LOCATED NEAR ANGOVILLE-AU-PLAIN ON THE FRENCH COTENTIN PENINSULA IN THE EARLY MORNING HOURS, AT 01:40 ON D-DAY, TUESDAY, JUNE 6, 1944 IN THE BATTLE OF NORMANDY. THIS WAS THE INVASION OF GERMANY’S FORTRESS EUROPE, CODE NAME: OPERATION OVERLORD. THE AIRCRAFT, WITH THE STARBOARD ENGINE ON FIRE AND OUT OF CONTROL WENT DOWN IN THE ENGLISH CHANNEL, OFF THE COAST OF OMAHA BEACH. THERE WERE 19 PARATROOPERS ON BOARD AND 4 WERE ABLE TO EXIT THE AIRCRAFT BEFORE IT IMPACTED THE WATER. HE WAS CAPTURED BY THE GERMANY ARMY WHEN HE LANDED IN THE VICINITY OF POINT-DU-HOC AND HELD IN CAPTIVITY AS A PRISONER OF WAR AT STALAG 12A AND STALAG 9B LIMBURG AN DER LAHN HESSEN-NASSAU, PRUSSIA. HE WAS LIBERATED AND RETURNED TO MILITARY CONTROL DURING THE MONTH OF APRIL 1944.