Dale Eldon Christensen-Manila, Philippines
Posted by: Groundspeak Regular Member Don.Morfe
N 14° 32.370 E 121° 02.952
51P E 289796 N 1608292
World War II Medal of Honor Recipient for action at the Driniumor River, New Guinea from July 16 to July 19, 1944. He was KIA. He is buried in Manila American Cemetery, Manila, Philippines in Plot A, Row 12, Grave 200.
Waymark Code: WM116RG
Location: Philippines
Date Posted: 08/26/2019
Published By:Groundspeak Premium Member NW_history_buff
Views: 4

He was born on May 31, 1920 in Gray, IA and he was killed in action on August 4, 1944. His Medal of Honor information and citation is: DALE ELDON CHRISTENSEN
Rank: Second Lieutenant
Organization: U.S. Army
Company: Troop E
Division: 112th Cavalry Regiment
Born: Cameron Township, Iowa
Departed: Yes
Entered Service At: Gray, Iowa
G.O. Number: 36
Date of Issue: 05/10/1945
Accredited To:
Place / Date: Driniumor River, New Guinea, 16-19 July 1944

Citation
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty along the Driniumor River, New Guinea, from 16-19 July 1944. 2d Lt. Christensen repeatedly distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry above and beyond the call of duty in the continuous heavy fighting which occurred in this area from 16-19 July. On 16 July, his platoon engaged in a savage fire fight in which much damage was caused by 1 enemy machinegun effectively placed. 2d Lt. Christensen ordered his men to remain under cover, crept forward under fire, and at a range of 15 yards put the gun out of action with hand grenades. Again, on 19 July, while attacking an enemy position strong in mortars and machineguns, his platoon was pinned to the ground by intense fire. Ordering his men to remain under cover, he crept forward alone to locate definitely the enemy automatic weapons and the best direction from which to attack. Although his rifle was struck by enemy fire and knocked from his hands he continued his reconnaissance, located 5 enemy machineguns, destroyed 1 with hand grenades, and rejoined his platoon. He then led his men to the point selected for launching the attack and, calling encouragement, led the charge. This assault was successful and the enemy was driven from the positions with a loss of 4 mortars and 10 machineguns and leaving many dead on the field. On 4 August 1944, near Afua, Dutch New Guinea, 2d Lt. Christensen was killed in action about 2 yards from his objective while leading his platoon in an attack on an enemy machinegun position. 2d Lt. Christensen's leadership, intrepidity, and repeatedly demonstrated gallantry in action at the risk of his life, above and beyond the call of duty, exemplify the highest traditions of the U.S. Armed Forces.

Photo by Ralph the Cemetery Guy and posted on findagrave.com.

*SPECIAL EXCEPTION WAYMARK* This category made the decision to approve this waymark based on the research and partnerships between the submitter, Don.Morfe, and individuals who gave permission for their photos of Medal of Honor resting places to be used in this community. Although the vision and philosophy of the Waymarking body is to promote in-person visits and photo documentation, special circumstances can be made on a case-by-case basis such as this submission. We appreciate the fact that Don.Morfe spent over 20 years visiting more than 2,900 Medal of Honor resting places and has documented them in this category with personal photos the past 18 months. He recently took it upon himself to document many more Medal of Honor resting places around the world that he could not visit in person. He reached out to individuals on FindaGrave.com and elsewhere and received permission to use their photos, created write-ups and submitted them here for approval. A compromise was made to allow his submissions here in order to gain a sense of appreciation to those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedoms. Thank you, Don, for your tireless efforts and contributions to this category and to the Waymarking community!

Armed Service: Army

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