World War II Honoree

Donald A. Christensen

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Kirby, Wyoming

Honored By

Sam E. Pennartz

ENLISTED IN THE ARMY AIR CORPS ON 13 OCTOBER 1942 AT SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH. ASSIGNED TO THE CENTRAL PACIFIC THEATRE OF OPERATIONS, 20TH AIR FORCE, 73RD BOMB WING, 497TH BOMBARDMENT GROUP (VERY HEAVY), 871ST BOMB SQUADRON, STATIONED AT ISLEY FIELD ON SAIPAN IN THE MARIANA ISLANDS. HE FLEW AS THE NAVIGATOR ABOARD A BOEING B-29 SUPERFORTRESS NICKNAMED 'GONNA MAK'ER' (TAIL # 42-65231) AS PART OF THE GROUP FORMATION TO BOMBARD THE TACHIARAI ARMY AIRFIELD ON JAPAN'S SOUTHERNMOST MAIN ISLAND OF KYUSHU. ON 18 APRIL 1945, THE JAPANESE PILOT OF A KI-45 TORYU TWIN-ENGINE FIGHTER PLANE, WHICH HAD ALREADY BEEN HIT BY MACHINE GUN FIRE, FLEW HEAD-ON INTO THE B-29 IN A SUICIDE ATTACK, BREAKING OFF THE BOMBER’S RIGHT WING, # 4 ENGINE, AND THE TAIL SECTION. THE AIRCRAFT DISINTEGRATED IN MID-AIR AND ALL CREWMEMBERS WERE KILLED.