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Those Who Died That Others Might Be Free

 

Floyd Christiansen

 

Date and Place of Birth: 1919 Chicago, Illinois
Date and Place of Death: July 10, 1945 Will Rogers Field, Oklahoma
Baseball Experience: Minor League
Position: Infield
Rank: Second Lieutenant
Military Unit: 348th CCTS USAAF
Area Served: United States

 

"Plane Crash Kills Lt Christiansen, Former Ball Pro"

Nevada State Journal, July 15, 1945

 

Floyd E Christiansen was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1919. He attended Calumet High School where he played on the baseball team. Christiansen graduated in 1936 and worked for the Goodman Manufacturing Company. He signed a professional contract with the Abilene Apaches of the West Texas-New Mexico League in 1939. He was out of organized baseball in 1940 but returned with the Sioux City Soos of the Western League in 1941 batting .253 with 35 RBIs. He joined the Springfield Cardinals of the Western Association in 1942 where he batted .231.

 

Christiansen entered military service in January 1943 and trained at Pensacola. He was later assigned to Norman, Oklahoma as an instructor with the 348th Combat Crew Training Squadron (CCTS). On July 10, 1945, Second Lieutenant Christiansen and Cadet Carl G Hanshaw were both killed during a training flight in a Lockheed F-5E photo-reconnaissance fighter at Will Rogers Field, Oklahoma.

 

 

Funeral services were held at the Golgotha Lutheran Church in Chicago on July 14, 1945. On September 2, 1945 an OCD memorial plaque dedication was held at 84th and Ada Streets. Fred M Hansen, pastor of the Golgotha Lutheran Church officiated at the ceremony. Floyd's brother, Sgt. Hilbert L Christiansen, attended the services because he was home on 30-day furlough from Italy where he served with the Army Air Force. Another brother, Cyril, an honorably discharged sergeant, who participated in three major battles in the Pacific, was also in attendance.

 

Added December 23, 2006. Updated September 15, 2008.

Copyright © 2008 Gary Bedingfield (Baseball in Wartime). All Rights Reserved.

Floyd Christiansen's full biography will soon be appearing in
Professional Baseball Players Who Died in World War II.
A book written by baseballinwartime.com founder Gary Bedingfield
and published by McFarland, a leading American publisher
of scholarly, reference and academic books.
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