(Photo)

Eugene Ralph Hansen

Fremont, Nebraska

Born July 8, 1924

Captain, U.S. Air Force

Service Number AO-842409

Killed in Action

Died July 7, 1950 in Korea

Captain Hansen was a veteran of World War II. In Korea, he was the pilot of a F-80C Shooting Star fighter interceptor with the 36th Fighter Bomber Squadron,8th Fighter Bomber Group. On July 7, 1950 after making repeated passes at enemy targets and receiving ground fire near Kaso-ri, Korea, his aircraft burst into flames and he bailed out but was killed during descent. Captain Hansen was awarded the Purple Heart, the Air Medal, the Good Conduct Medal, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Presidential Unit Citation, the Republic of Korea War Service Medal, the American Campaign Medal, the World War II Victory Medal and the Army of Occupation Medal.

6 March 1952

KIN OF BLAIRITE LISTED AS LOST

Lt. Eugene R. Hansen, of Fremont, and a son-in-law of Mrs. Mable Layman of east Lincoln street, is among those who have been given up as lost in action by the War Department.

Lt. Hansen had been missing since July 7th, 1951.

A veteran of 7 years in the air force, he was last seen as he parachuted down through a layer of clouds after his plane had caught fire.

Enterprise 27 July 1950

Hope Dims For Lt. Hansen In Korea

No Trace Of Lost Man Since Bailing Out Of Plane

Relatives and friends of Lt. E. R. Hansen, who bailed out of his damaged plane following an air battle over Korea July 7th, are still without word of his condition or whereabouts. Hope for the missing airman continues strong, however.

Lt. Hansen, who lived for many years in the Herman vicinity, is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Harold Hansen, Sr., now of Fremont, Nebraska. He is also the son-in-law of Mrs. Mable Layman of 212 East Lincoln street, Blair.

No word has been heard of Lt. Hansen since he jumped from his plane into a cloud following an air babble over Korea. A cremate, who also left the damaged plane, got back to American lines safely and gave the report on Lt. Hansen.

In a letter received by Mrs. Layman this week, written by her daughter, who is in Japan, the tenseness of the situation is quickly sensed. The letter follows: July 16, 1950 Itazuka, Japan

Dear Mom:

We haven’t heard any word form or of Gene’s whereabouts.

July 20

Still no news. We are all praying that Gene is hiding in Korea hills, but have no news or grounds to go on.

I’m o.k. Give all your prayers for Gene and all of these poor boys who are participating in this war.

Two hurricanes have been heading this way, but missed us.

It has been 13 long days since Gene jumped from his plane. Gene’s C.O. was killed the day before yesterday.

May God bring this horrible war to an end.

Pilot Tribune 20 July 1950 (article was mostly about Pvt. Calvin Van Winkle)

Lt. Eugene Hansen Also on Missing List

2nd paragraph: It was the second missing-in-action report involving Washington Countians. Lt. Eugene R. Hanse, former Herman boy whose parents, Mr. and Mrs. Harold Hansen, Sr., now live in Fremont, has been missing some two weeks in Korea.

Handwritten note: POW-MIA Korean War Casualties shows he died on 27 February 1952 while missing.

~~~ Obituary courtesy of the Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file in the Blair Public Library at Blair, Nebraska.~~~