Henry Oliver Hansen was born on December 14, 1919 in Somerville, Massachusetts to Henry & Madeline Hansen, he had three brothers and a sister.
He graduated from Somerville High School in 1938 and enlisted in the Marine Corps.
He volunteered for the Paramarines and saw combat on Bougainville. When the Paramarines were disbanded in February 1944, Hansen was transferred to E Company, 2nd Battalion, 28th Marine Regiment, 5th Marine Division at Camp Pendleton.
On February 19, 1945 they landed on Iwo Jima near Mount Suribachi, two days later on February 21st, SGT Hansen was sharing a foxhole with PFC Donald Ruhl when a Japanese grenade fell between them. Rhul dove on the grenade and was killed by the blast, saving Hansen and other Marines from injury, Rhul was posthumously awarded the Medal Of Honor.
Two days afterwards on February 23rd, SGT Hansen was part of the first group of Marines that made it to the top of Mount Suribachi, and assisted with the first flag raising.
The Battle for Iwo Jima continued, and on March 1, 1945, SGT Henry Hansen was Killed in Action.
He is buried at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, Hawaii – Section O Grave 392.
After his death, SGT Hansen was mistakenly identified by PFC Gagnon as one of the six flag raisers for the second flag raising on Mount Suribachi in the famous Rosenthal photograph.
A Marine Corps investigation into the identifications of the six second flag-raisers concluded in January 1947 that it was CPL Harlon Block and not SGT Hansen in the Rosenthal photograph.
SGT Henry Hansen was played by actor Paul Walker in the 2006 movie “Flags of Our Fathers”.
by UrbanAchievers6371
4 Comments
At 25 he was an old man. Most of those boys would barely be old enough to drink with today’s laws. Old men start wars, young men get to die in them. Fair winds and following seas Henry.
3 of the 5 people i know who died in the army were less than 21
He look 38
RIP Military Brother.