Congressman Vince Fong Presents Service Medals to Family of Late WWII Veteran

FRESNO, CA - Today, Congressman Vince Fong (CA-20) presented the family of late World War II veteran Staff Sergeant Nels (Chris) Christensen with several military awards he earned in service to the United States.

Staff Sergeant Christensen enlisted from Des Moines, Iowa, and served in the U.S. Army from 1941 to 1945 with Troop E, 24th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron. The 24th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron was activated in Great Britain in December 1943 and went on to conduct operations across France, Belgium, and Germany through the cessation of hostilities in May 1945.

Upon learning of Staff Sergeant Christensen's Bronze Star from his DD214, his family contacted Rep. Fong's office in hopes of receiving more information on his service. With the help of Rep. Fong's team, the medals were reissued to Staff Sergeant Christensen from the National Archives and Records Administration.

Congressman Fong presented Staff Sergeant Christensen's daughter, Linda Goodale, and grandson, Paul Beckley, with the Bronze Star Medal, Good Conduct Medal, American Defense Service Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal, and the Honorable Service Lapel Button (WWII).

"Staff Sergeant Christensen was a true American hero, and it was an honor to present his family with the medals he earned serving this great nation," said Congressman Fong. "His courage and dedication during some of the most consequential moments in our history helped secure the freedoms we enjoy today. It is a privilege to ensure his service and sacrifice are properly recognized by our country and never forgotten by our community."

"I want to thank Congressman Fong for assisting getting the records available and the medals my grandfather received from his time serving as a tank NCO under General Patton during WWII. We never knew details about his service until after he has passed away because, as with a lot of veterans, they don't want to talk about the horrors they have seen. Now we know that he was in Normandy and served over 3 years in the European theater during the height of the war. I so appreciate Congressman Fong for obtaining his medals for us to tell his story now."-Staff Sergeant Christensen's grandson, Paul Beckley.

Staff Sergeant Christensen passed away in 1992. His daughter, Linda, and grandson, Paul, reside in Fresno, CA.