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Frank L. Christen

NAME
Frank Leonard Christen
NICKNAME
SERVICE NUMBER
O-10199
UNIT
VMSB-132
Pilot
HOME OF RECORD
238 East 3rd Street, Corning, NY
raised Jerseyville, IL
NEXT OF KIN
Wife, Mrs. Ruth Clark Christen
DATE OF BIRTH
January 14, 1919
ENTERED SERVICE
June 12, 1941
DATE OF LOSS
December 16, 1942
REGION
Solomon Islands
CAMPAIGN / AREA
New Georgia / Munda
CASUALTY TYPE
Missing In Action
Declared Dead December 17, 1943
CIRCUMSTANCES OF LOSS
Second Lieutenant Frank Christen was a Marine dive bomber pilot assigned to VMSB-132, part of the Cactus Air Force based out of Guadalcanal.

On 16 December 1942, Christen and his radioman, PFC Glenn Shattuck, participated in a night strike against a Japanese destroyer off New Georgia. Christen dropped flares over the target, and was last seen entering his dive. His section leader returned alone; Christen and Shattuck were reported missing in action, and then declared dead on 17 December 1943.

Lieutenant Christen was reported to be a prisoner of war; Japanese documents reveal that he was interrogated at Rabaul. He died while in captivity at an unknown date.

INDIVIDUAL DECORATIONS
Distinguished Flying Cross, Purple Heart
LAST KNOWN RANK
Second Lieutenant
posthumous Captain
STATUS OF REMAINS
Not recovered
MEMORIALS
St. Francis Xavier Cemetery, Jerseyville, IL
Manila American Cemetery

Biography:
Coming soon. Contact the webmaster for more information about this Marine.

For more about Frank Christen and Glenn Shattuck, see The Lost, Last Letter.


Articles & Records:


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