World War II Honoree

Leroy E. Christensen

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Odgen, Utah

Honored By

Orville L. Kline

RANK: PRIVATE 1ST CLASS. JAPANESE PRISONER OF WAR FOR 30 MONTHS. HE WAS INDUCTED INTO THE UNITED STATES ARMY AIR CORPS APRIL 8, 1941 AT SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH. SERVED WITH 2ND QUARTERMASTER COMPANY ‘AVIATION’, U.S. FIFTH FAR EAST AIR FORCE. WHILE FIGHTING WITH THE PROVISIONAL INFANTRY COMPANY AND RETREATING TO THE BATAAN PENINSULA, HE WAS CAPTURED BY THE JAPANESE ARMED FORCES APRIL 9, 1942 DURING THE INVASION OF THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS. FORCED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE BATAAN DEATH MARCH AND WAS HELD CAPTIVE AT AN UNKNOWN PRISONER OF WAR CAMP ON LUZON. ON AUGUST 20, 1944 HE BOARDED THE JAPANESE ‘HELL SHIP’ SHINYO MARU ALONG WITH HUNDREDS OF OTHER PRISONERS WHOSE DESTINATION WAS A PRISONER OF WAR CAMP IN JAPAN. ON THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 1944 HE WAS REPORTED AS MISSING IN ACTION, LOST AT SEA WHEN THE TRANSPORT WAS TORPEDOED AND SUNK BY THE SUBMARINE, USS PADDLE NEAR LILEY, SINDANGAN PROVINCE, MINDANAO, PHILIPPINE ISLANDS. HE IS MEMORIALIZED IN THE TABLETS OF THE MISSING AT THE MANILA AMERICAN CEMETERY AND MEMORIAL, LOCATED AT FORT BONIFACIO, PHILIPPINE ISLANDS. A MEMORIAL MARKER AT THE AULTOREST CEMETERY, OGDEN, UTAH IS A CENOTAPH, AS HIS BODY WAS NEVER RECOVERED. DECORATION AND CITATION: PURPLE HEART. THIS AMERICAN PATRIOT WAS AWARDED THE PURPLE HEART, WHO SO GALLANTLY GAVE HIS LIFE IN DEFENSE OF HIS COUNTRY.