Stanley R. Christianson
Stanley Reuben Christianson | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 24, 1925 Mindoro, Wisconsin, United States |
| Died | September 29, 1950 (aged 25) near Seoul, South Korea |
| Buried | Wet Coulee Cemetery, Mindoro, Wisconsin |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch | United States Marine Corps |
| Service years | 1942–1945 1946–1950 |
| Rank | Corporal (posthumous) |
| Unit | 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines |
| Conflicts | World War II |
| Awards | Medal of Honor Bronze Star Medal Purple Heart |
Stanley R. Christianson (January 24, 1925 – September 29, 1950) was a Marine Corps private first class who posthumously received the Medal of Honor, the United States' highest military decoration for valor, for giving his life in a one-man stand against a ferocious attack which threatened to destroy his platoon in Korea on September 29, 1950.
The Medal of Honor was presented to his parents by Secretary of the Navy Dan A. Kimball in Washington, D.C., on August 30, 1951. The award was Christianson's second decoration in 16 days of fighting in Korea. Just 11 days before he was killed, he was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for another act of valor. The 25-year-old veteran of almost eight years in the Marine Corps also had been awarded a Letter of Commendation for meritorious service in the Pacific during World War II.