Floyd Christiansen
| Date and Place of Birth: | 1919 Chicago, IL |
| Date and Place of Death: | May 1, 1945 Moore, OK |
| Baseball Experience: | Minor League |
| Position: | Infield |
| Rank: | Second Lieutenant |
| Military Unit: | Marine Aviation Detachment, US Marine Corps |
| Area Served: | United States |
"Plane Crash Kills Lt Christiansen, Former Ball Pro"
Nevada State Journal, July 15, 1945
Floyd E. Christiansen was the son of Charles and Louise Christiansen.
In the mid–1930s, he was a shortstop with the Calumet
High School varsity team in Chicago, Illinois, before working for the Goodman
Manufacturing Company. In late 1939, he signed a professional contract
with the Borger Gassers of the Class D West Texas-New Mexico League, but
was released after playing just two games. He was out of Organized
Baseball in 1940, but signed with the St. Louis Cardinals’ organization
in the spring of 1941, and joined the Decatur Commodores of the Class B
Three-I League. At the end of spring training, he was assigned to the
Sioux City Soos of the Class D Western League, where he played third
base and batted .253 with 35 RBIs in 109 games. Christiansen joined the
Springfield Cardinals of the Class C Western Association in 1942, moving
to second base and batting .231 in 131 games.
Christiansen entered military service with the Marine Corps in January
1943, and trained as a pilot at the Naval Air Station in Pensacola,
Florida, as well as entering the Navy V-5 program at DePauw University
in Greencastle, Indiana. After earning his pilot’s wings and a
commission as a second lieutenant, he was assigned to the Naval Air
Technical Training Center at Norman, Oklahoma, as a primary flight
instructor with the Marine Aviation Detachment, United States Marine Corps.
On May 1, 1945, Christiansen and Cadet Carl G. Hanshaw were both killed
during a training flight that crashed at Moore, Oklahoma, about 13 miles
north of Norman.
Funeral services were held at the Golgotha Lutheran Church in Chicago,
on May 5. On September 2, 1945, an Office of Civilian Defense memorial
plaque dedication was held at 84th and Ada Streets in Chicago. Floyd’s
brothers, Hilbert and Cyril, both attended the services. Hilbert was
home on 30-day furlough from Italy, where he served with the Army Air
Force, while Cyril had been honorably discharged from service having
participated in three major battles in the Pacific.
|
Year |
Team |
League |
Class |
G |
AB |
R |
H |
2B |
3B |
HR |
RBI |
AVG |
|
1939 |
Borger | W. Tex-New Mexico |
D |
2 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .167 |
|
1940 |
Did Not Play | |||||||||||
| 1941 |
Sioux City |
Western | D | 109 | 403 | 47 | 102 | 12 | 5 | 0 | 35 | .253 |
| 1942 | Springfield | Western Assoc | C | 131 | 477 | 76 | 110 | 19 | 7 | 4 | 41 | .231 |
Floyd Christiansen (front row, third from left)
with the Calumet High School baseball team in 1936
Thanks to Astrid van Erp for help with photos for this biography
Date Added January 27, 2012 Updated August 2, 2017
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