Skip to main content
Naval History and Heritage Command

Naval History and Heritage Command

The Navy Department Library

Related Content
Sources

Adapted from "Commander Wayne John Christensen, Civil Engineer Corps, United States Navy, Deceased" [biography, dated 12 March 1959] in Modern Biographical Files collection, Navy Department Library.

Topic
  • Maintenance-Repairs
  • Recreation-Sports
Document Type
  • Biography
Wars & Conflicts
  • World War II 1939-1945
File Formats
Location of Archival Materials
  • NHHC-Library

Wayne John Christensen

22 February 1920 - 21 January 2008

Upload PDF Version [171KB]

Wayne John Christensen was born in Brigham City, Utah, on February 22, 1920, son of John and Lavon (Olsen) Christensen. He attended Weber College, Ogden, Utah, from which he received his Associate in Science in 1941. He next studied at Utah State Agricultural College and was awarded the degree of Bachelor of Science in engineering in 1943. While attending that university he was a member of the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps Unit and between July and October 1942 had temporary duty under instruction in the Industrial Department at the Navy Yard, Mare Island, California.

Commissioned Ensign in the US Naval Reserve on March 16, 1942, he subsequently advanced in rank, attaining that of Commander, to date from January 1, 1958. He was designated a Civil Engineer Corps Officer on April 1, 1946 and on September 25, that year was transferred from the Naval Reserve to the regular Navy.

Reporting for active duty in August 1943 he was assigned to the Naval Station, Astoria, Oregon, where he served as Ship Superintendent until October 1944. He next had instruction at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, after which he served from July 1945 until July 1946 at the Pearl Harbor (Territory of Hawaii) Naval Shipyard. He reported for instruction in civil engineering at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York and upon completing his instruction in July 1948 received the degree of Bachelor and Master in Civil Engineering.

After a tour of duty, which extended to April 1950, as Executive Officer and Assistant Public Works Officer on the 1507th Construction Battalion Depot. Guam, Marianas Islands, he again had instruction, this time at the Naval Postgraduate School, Annapolis, Maryland. He attended courses in Radiological Defense Engineering at the University of California at Berkeley, July 1951- June 1953, and received the degree of Master of Science in bio-radiology. In July 1953 he was assigned to the Armed Forces Special Weapons Project, Albuquerque, New Mexico, where he served as Project Officer in connection with research and development until July 1956. The next month he became Staff Officer in Charge of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization construction and engineering in Norway and Denmark with headquarters in Oslo, Norway.

Returning to the United States in August 1958, he now serves as Manager of the Atomic Energy and Applied Sciences Branch, Research and Development Division, Bureau of Yards and Docks, Navy Department, Washington, DC.

Commander Christensen has the American Campaign Medal; the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal; the World War II Victory Medal; and the National Defense Service Medal.

END

Published: Mon Mar 08 10:03:55 EST 2021