CHRISTIANSEN, EUGENE FRANCIS
Name: Eugene Francis Christiansen
Rank/Branch: E3/US Army
Unit: 282nd Aviation Company, 212th Aviation Battalion, 16th Aviation Group,
1st Aviation Brigade
Date of Birth: 16 February 1949 (Cedar Springs CA)
Home City of Record: Barstow CA
Date of Loss: 06 February 1969
Country of Loss: South Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 162750N 1070238E (YD182212)
Status (in 1973): Missing In Action
Category: 4
Acft/Vehicle/Ground: UH1H
Refno: 1372
Other Personnel In Incident: Robert C. O'Hara; Charles I. Stanley; Ronald D.
Briggs; David E. Padgett; Donald E. Parsons (all missing)
Source: Compiled by Homecoming II Project 15 June 1990 from one or more of
the following: raw data from U.S. Government agency sources, correspondence
with POW/MIA families, published sources, interviews. Updated by the P.O.W.
NETWORK 2002.
REMARKS:
SYNOPSIS: On February 6, 1969, CW2 Charles I. Stanley, pilot; 1Lt. David E.
Padgett, aircraft commander; SP5 Robert C. O'Hara, crew chief; PFC Eugene F.
Christiansen, door gunner; LtCol. Donald E. Parsons, 1Lt. Ronald D. Briggs,
and Maj. Vu Vanh Phao, ARVN, all passengers, were aboard a UH1H (serial
#67-17499) on a resupply mission in Quang Tri Province, South Vietnam.
While in route from Landing Zone Vandergrift to LZ Tornado, 1Lt. Padget
contacted the LZ Tornado radio operator at about 1100 hours and stated that
due to poor weather conditions and poor visibility, the flight was returning
to LZ Vandergrift.
At that time, the radio operator at LZ Tornado could hear the helicopter
northeast of his location, which sounded as if it were heading in a
northerly direction. When the aircraft failed to return to LZ Vandergrift, a
coordinated search and rescue operation was initiated and continued for
seven consecutive days, finding nothing.
However, on the morning of February 7, Crown, an airborne control aircraft,
reported receiving radio beeper signals several times from the general
vicinity of where Lt. Padgett's aircraft was last reported. The beeper
signals were estimated to emanate from that general direction. The source of
the signals was never determined.
The area in which the aircraft was estimated to go down has been dubbed
"Antenna Valley" and is located west of Cam Lo and on the backside of Camp
Carrol. The area was occupied by NVA regulars, and was never cleared.
On-site search was not possible at that time.
On September 4, 1969, an ARVN source reported that in August he had seen LTC
Parsons, Maj. Phao, LT Briggs, and four other unidentified American POWs in
a hospital in Laos. The U.S. Army determined that the four unidentified
Americans could possibly be Christiansen, Stanley, Padgett and O'Hara.
On July 5, 1972, an NVA rallier reported seeing two caucasian POWs in the
vicinity of a T-35 commo-liaison station on the 499th infiltration corridor
in Laos. The two POWs were being taken to North Vietnam. This information
was tentatively correlated to LT Padgett and PCF Christiansen.
In September 1970, LTC Parson's wife and friends identified him in a North
Vietnamese film of a protestant service in a POW environment. CW2 Stanley's
mother made a tentative identification of her son in the same film.
In December 1979, an alleged "gun-runner", Sean O'Toolis reported that he
had the fingerprints of Robert O'Hara, and that O'Hara was at that time
being held south of Hanoi near Bong Song. O'Toolis' information was
summarily dismissed by the U.S. Government and he was thoroughly
discredited, thus it is not clear how much credence can be given to his
information.
The reports relating to the crew of the UH1H that went down on February 6,
1969 are typical of the over 10,000 reports received by the U.S. Government
relating to Americans prisoner, missing or unaccounted for in Southeast
Asia. After reviewing "several million documents" and conducting "over
250,000 interviews" the USG has been unable to state categorically that
Americans are still alive.
Many authorities, however, including a former Director of Defense
Intelligence Agency, have reluctantly concluded that there are many
Americans still held against their will in Southeast Asia.
Families who receive these reports are especially tortured. With no means to
prove or disprove them, the tormen is indescribable. When they turn to their
government, they are usually met with the "mindset to debunk" described by
one high official in Congressional hearings. When they approach Vietnam,
they are told the person they seek is unknown to them. Yet the reports
continue to flow in, month after month, year after year. And year after
year, families wait.
And year after year, American servicemen wait -- wondering if their country
will ever bring them home.
[r1372.97]
PROJECT X
SUMMARY SELECTION RATIONALE
NAMES: BRIGGS, Ronald D., lLT, USA
CHRISTIANSEN, Eugene F., PFC, USA
O'HARA, Robert C.,, SP5, USA
PARSONS, Donald E., LTC, USA
PADGETT,, David E., lLT, USA
STANLEY, Charles I., CW2, USA
OFFICIAL STATUS: BRIGGS: DEAD, BODY NOT RECOVERED
CHRISTIANSEN: MISSING
O'HARA: MISSING
PARSONS: DEAD, BODY NOT RECOVERED
PADGETT: MISSING
STANLEY: MISSING
CASE SUMMARY: SEE ATTACHED
RATIONALE FOR SELECTION: All of these individuals were lost in one
helicopter incident. There are two correlated intelligence reports
describing four of them, and two of the individuals were identified by
family and friends in a North Vietnamese film. There have been no
confirmations of death on any of these men since the incident date.
REFNO: 1372 20 Apr 76
(U) CASE SUMMARY
1. On 6 February 1969 CW2 Charles I. Stanley, pilot, 1Lt. David E. Padgett,
aircraft commander, LTC Donald E. Parsons, lLT Ronald D. Briggs, and Maj.
Vu Vann Phao (ARVN), passengers, SP5 Robert C. O'Hara, crewchief, and PFC
Eugene F. Christiansen, gunner, were aboard a UH1H helicopter, (
#67-17499), on a resupply mission in South Vietnam. At about 1100 hours,
while enroute from Landing Zone ((LZ) Vandgrift to LZ Tornado, 1LT. Padgett
contacted the LZ Tornado radio operator, and stated that due to poor
weather conditions and Door visibility the flight was returning to LZ
Vandgrift. At that time the radio operator at LZ Torando could hear the
helicopter northeast of his location, which sounded as though it was
heading- in a northerly direction. When the aircraft failed to return to LZ
Vandgrift a coordinated search and rescue operation was initiated and
continued for a period of seven consecutive days, finding nothing. However,
on the morning, of 7 February, R-Crown, (an airborne control aircraft),
reported receiving radio beeper signals several times from the -general
vicinity of where lLT Padgett's aircraft was last reported. The beeper
signals were estimated to eminate from a point-- near grid coordinates (GC)
YD 170 300. (The incident coordinates are listed in JCRC files as YD 182
212). (Ref 1 & 3)
2. On 4 September 1969 an ARVN source reported that in August he had seen
LTC Parsons, Maj. Phao, LT. Briggs, and four other unidentified American
POW's at a hospital in Laos. (The four unidentified POW's possibly were PFC
Christiansen, CW2 Stanley, 1LT. Padgett and SP5 O'Hara). (Ref 2)
3. On 5 July 1972 an NVA rallier reported seeing two Caucasian POW's in the
vicinity of a T-35 Commo-Liaison station on the 599th Infiltration Corridor
in Laos (UTM coordinates unknown). The two POW's were being taker to North
Vietnam. (Information in this report possibly correlates -To LT. Padgett
and PFC Christiansen). (Ref 3)
4. LTC Parsons' spouse and friends identified him in a North Vietnamese
film of a Protestant Service in September 1970. CW2 Stanley's mother made a
tentative identification of her son in the same film. (Ref 3)
5. During the existence of JCRC, the limited information available
precluded any efforts toward the resolution of this case. These
individuals' names and identifying data were turned over to the Four-Party
Joint Military Team with a request for any information available. No
response was forthcoming. lLT Briggs and LTC Parsons are currently carried
in the presumptive status of Dead, Body Not Recovered. CW2 Stanley, lLT
Padgett, PFC Christiansen and SP5 O'Hara are currently carried in the
status of Missing.
REFERENCES USED
1. RPT (U), HQ USARV W w/inclosures, 7 Apr 69.
2. RPT- (U), HQ 3rd Army (Information from Mrs Patrick A. Parsons) 15 Sep
70.
3. RPT (U), MIA SEA.- Page 16, 31 Mar 73.
ASSOCIATED INDIVIDUALS
1. Ronald D. Briggs 1372-0-01
2. Eugene F. Christiansen 1372-0-02
3. Robert C. O'Hara 1372-0-03
4. Donald E. Parsons 1372-0-04
5. David E. Padgett 1372-0-05
6. Charles I. Stanley 1372-0-06
* National Alliance of Families Home Page
=================
http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/news/articles/0602/09/new13.asp
Published: Sunday, June 9, 2002
DNA sample proves body is of Barstow man lost in Vietnam
By Chuck Mueller
Staff Writer
The remains of Eugene F. Christiansen, a soldier from Barstow who has been
missing in action since 1969 during the Vietnam War, have been identified
through DNA sampling, family members said Friday. A granite monument was
erected in Barstow in his honor in 1990 when local Vietnam War veterans and
civic leaders dedicated the Eugene Christiansen Memorial Plaza.
"You are not forgotten," declares a tribute on the bronze plaque fronting a
granite stone at Main Street and Third Avenue.
With the recovery and identification of his remains, Christiansen's family
plans a memorial service June 25 at Eagle Point Cemetery in southern Oregon,
said Susan Christiansen, his sister-in-law.
Barstow-area Vietnam War veterans also want to conduct a service at the
downtown Barstow plaza the same day, said Jack Brumit, past president of the
veterans
group.
"It is very fitting for this young man to be honored once again upon the
return of his remains," Brumit said.
Christiansen, born Feb. 16, 1949, grew up in Barstow and graduated from
Kennedy High School in 1966.
"He was the sixth of nine sons and one daughter and loved to spend free time
riding a motorcycle in the desert," said Susan Christiansen, a former
Barstow
resident who lives in Gold Hill, Ore., near Medford.
"He entered the Army after learning that his older brother, David, had been
drafted and was being sent to Vietnam," she said. "Eugene volunteered to
take my
husband's place. Our whole family tried to talk him out of it, but Eugene
insisted that his brother should be with his wife.
"David and Eugene served together in different parts of Vietnam for a short
time David near Saigon and Eugene at the American base at Da Nang."
Susan Christiansen said her husband visited Eugene before coming home in
October 1968.
"He was the last family member to see Eugene, who was listed as missing on
Feb. 16, 1969," she said.
Eugene was listed as MIA on his 20th birthday.
According to a report from the Army, Eugene Christiansen was a door gunner
aboard a UH-1H Huey helicopter with six other men on a supply mission.
The helicopter's pilot, 1st Lt. David Padgett, radioed his base that he was
returning due to poor weather conditions. But the helicopter never arrived,
and a seven-day search was fruitless.
"For many years we anguished, hoping hoped Eugene was alive and perhaps was
a prisoner," Susan Christiansen said. "After the Vietnam War ended and the
United
States was allowed to search for MIAs, the wreckage of the helicopter was
found" a few years ago.
"It took a long time to sift through the wreckage and to conduct DNA
sampling," she said. "All of the remains and personal effects were
identified and were
taken to Hawaii."
Last year, the Army was making plans to conduct a possible group burial at
Arlington National Cemetery for the men who died aboard the helicopter. But
the
terrorist attacks on Sept. 11 changed those plans.
Meanwhile, David and Susan Christiansen had four children.
"We planned to name our fourth one Eugene if it was a boy," Susan
Christiansen said. "It was a girl, however, and we named her Eugena."
She said the four children have deep respect for their uncle, who went to
war so their father could return home early.
"I've told my children that they owe their lives to Eugene," Susan
Christiansen said. "If it wasn't for him, my husband might have died in
Vietnam."
-- Chuck Mueller can be reached at (909) 889-9666.
=============================
Associated Press Newswires
Thursday, August 1, 2002
Remains of Ohio casualty in Vietnam identified
WASHINGTON (AP) - The remains of an Ohio soldier and two other U.S.
servicemen missing since the Vietnam War have been identified, the Pentagon
said Thursday.
Chief Warrant Officer Charles Stanley of Cleveland disappeared Feb. 6, 1969,
while flying aboard a UH-1H helicopter on an emergency supply mission in
Vietnam.
Stanley and Sgt. 1st Class Eugene F. Christiansen of Barstow, Calif., were
part of the crew on a flight that radioed that it was returning to base due
to poor weather. Stanley was 23 at the time.
The flight never returned and no wreckage was found in the immediate search.
Investigators, working with cooperation of the Vietnamese government and
information from local residents, collected remains, personal artifacts and
aircraft debris in the Quang Tri province in 1993, 1995 and 1996.
Stanley's remains were identified through comparison of DNA genetic material
from the blood of a female relative and his bone or teeth, said Larry Greer,
a spokesman for the Department of Defense POW/MIA Office in Washington, D.C.
The identification was made at the Army Central Identification Laboratory in
Hawaii.
The remains of Christiansen and a passenger, Lt. Col. Donald Eugene Parsons
of Sparta, Ill., also were identified. The remains of three others remain
unidentified.
Stanley was born in Cleveland and attended suburban Mayfield High School and
Ohio State University. He joined the Army in 1968.
The Pentagon said the remains would be returned to the families.
Stanley's brother, Ron Stanley, said Thursday night that a funeral service
is planned for Sept. 6 at Arlington National Cemetery. No other memorial
service is planned.
"There is a certain sense of relief. We can finally get some closure after
33 years," he said.