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James C Hansen

War: World War II
Parent/Wife: Mrs Myrtle
City: Marshfield
Birth Date: 1 Nov 1922
Death Date: 11 Jul 1944
How Died: Kia
Where Died: New Guinea
Where Buried:
Rank: T-Sgt
Branch: Army

Kia=Killed in Action
Dow=Died of Wounds
Dod=Died of Disease
Mia=Missing in Action

Stories

Sergeant James C. Hansen

“The Secretary of War desires me to express his deep regret that your son T. Sgt. James C. Hansen was killed in action July 11, 1944 in New Guinea.” Mrs. Myrtle received this telegram about her son, James Hansen, sometime during July and August in 1944, on the day he died. Only 22 years of age James had suffered a tragic death, supporting his country. James was sent to the New Guinea area only twenty-seven months before his death.

James lived on 712 S Cherry Street. He was a graduate of Marshfield High School. He was granted a diploma because he had finished his scholastic work. To my understanding James was drafted around the same time he was graduating. His father died in 1929, which had to be hard on James, only being nine years old. He left Marshfield with Company C. of the National Guard in 1940 being only eighteen years old, the age most boys were sent to war during this time. He was in service for about a year before Pear Harbor occurred. He was then discharged in November, 1941, for two months, and after the attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese, he was recalled to the service. He was sent to fort Sheridan III, and then joined his old unit at Camp Beauregard, LA. From that camp he was sent to Fort Devens, Massachusetts, and finally to San Francisco. From there he was sent to New Guinea.

About six months before James’s death, allied forces were using air and naval superiority to land troops where the Japanese were the weakest. The Allied forces had most control of the air and the sea. The next nine months were devoted to this strategy. To my understanding, James C. Hansen was apart of the 3,000 Americans that were casualties along the Driniumor.

440 of these soldiers perished, which James would have more than likely been one of them. This was General Douglas Macarthur’s most costly campaign since Buna. There were nearly ten thousand that died during July and August in 1944, the time around when James C. Hansen died. James was only 22 years of age, and the war had ended his life along with about 500,000 others during WWII.

Leah Ripp, Student
Marshfield Junior High

 


“The Secretary of War desires me to express his deep regret that your son, Technical Sergeant James C. Hansen was killed in action July 11th in New Guinea.”

It was with profound sadness that Mrs. Myrtle Hansen received this message at her home on 712 Cherry Street, Marshfield, Wisconsin. Her son was 22 years old. The last letter that she had received from James was dated June 23rd and was received on July 11th, the date that her son was killed. Her husband, James’ father had passed away in 1929 leaving Myrtle to raise James, his two brothers and five sisters.

James Hansen was born in Marshfield, Wisconsin on the 1st of November in 1922. Hansen graduated from Marshfield High School. He enlisted in the army before the school term was over, and was granted a diploma because his scholarship work was complete. In high school, James played sports and was a football teammate of Ray Goeres, who was reported wounded on Saipan Island on the 23rd of June in 1944.

James Hansen left Marshfield with Company C. of the National Guard in 1940 and was in the service for about a year before the bombing of Pearl Harbor. He was discharged in November of 1941 for two months, and then after the attack on Pearl Harbor he was recalled to service. Hansen was sent to Fort Sheridan in Illinois, and then joined his old unit at Camp Beauregard in Louisiana. From there, he was sent to Fort Devens in Massachusetts, and then to San Francisco. After that, he was sent to combat in the New Guinea area, where he fought heroically for 27 months.

Leaving behind to grieve for this tremendous loss were his mother, Myrtle of Wisconsin Rapids and his two brothers and five sisters: Cpl. Charles Hansen of England, John Hansen, Lois Hansen and Virginia Hansen of Wisconsin Rapids, Mrs. Gerald E. Fehrenbach of Marshfield, Mrs. Sidney F. Grover of Detroit, Michigan and Miss Lucille Hansen also of Detroit, Michigan.

Written By:

RaeAnn Cooks

East Junior High

 


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