I would like to pick up where John left off, and tell you about Al's long, and distinguished career.
After graduation and ranger school, Al was assigned to an Air Defense Battery in Clemeten New Jersey. Al's first assignment was indeed an auspicious one for it was here that he met Maria and married her eight months later.
Shortly after they were married Al was sent to Ft. Bragg for two months of training to be an advisor and then off to Vietnam in 1966 to fight with our South Vietnamese allies in the delta. Al was awarded the Bronze Star and Air Medal for his exemplary service in combat.
Upon his return from Vietnam he was promoted to Captain and Al and Maria were off to Ft Sill, Oklahoma, for part one and to Ft Bliss, Texas, for part two of the air defense artillery advanced course. This was followed by a special, very difficult, technical course on air defense missiles, where Al graduated number one in his class.
Al was then able to stay in El Paso and attend graduate school at the University of Texas where he earned a masters degree in operations research.
In 1969 the Army sent him to Korea where he commanded an air defense battery on the DMZ.
Al always enjoyed telling the story of how he could not even reach his boss just a few miles away on the old fashioned field telephones, but Maria was able to ring him up all the way from the States.
After returning from Korea, Al spent a few short years as an aid in the Washington area.
Then it was back to Ft Bliss, where he worked as an operations research analyst on the Patriot air defense system. The same system that played a major role in the recent Gulf War. This was the first time that Al and I were assigned together-and it started a warm friendship between our families that has lasted for over 25 years.
As our friendship grew, two things struck me about AL
First, he was the epitome of the Southern gentleman, and
second, he was a professional, he was very serious about being the best officer he could be. Al exemplified integrity, he could not be pressured to fudge the analysis just so the data would look better than it was. He embodied our school motto of duty, honor, country.
This was a special assignment for Maria and AL as their children, Ken and Lisa, were born there and Al was promoted to Major.
The Christensens left the warm southwest for Germany in 1976 where Al served as the operations officer for an Air Defense Brigade.
From there Al and Maria went to Ft Leavenworth, Kansas where Al attended the Army's Command and General Staff College.
After the relaxing year at Ft Leavenworth, it was back to Washington to serve on the general staff as a personnel officer under General Thurman-not an easy man to please, but Al must have done very well for
It was back to Ft Bliss, but this time as a Lieutenant Colonel and a battalion commander.
After distinguishing himself in that prestigious assignment, Al and Maria returned to Washington in 1983 where Al served on the Joint Staff in the Department of Defense. This is the highest level staff position there is for the military. As a result of his professionalism, diligence and devotion to duty, Al was promoted to Colonel in 1985.
Mary Jo and I were glad to see Maria and Al come to Washington as it was the first time we were together in many years. But as I had sensed during our first tour together, Maria and Al are the kind of friends that don't depend on geography-they are always your friends. If you called Al in the middle of the night and asked for a ride to work the next morning, he wouldn't tell you it was out of his way-he would ask what time you wanted to be picked up.
Al's last assignment before retiring from the Army in 1990 was as a Strategic Systems Analyst with the Operational Test and Evaluation Directorate of the Department of Defense.
Once again I had occasion to work professionally with Al, and once again I could see that he still lived, as he always had, by our motto, duty, honor, country.
He was as professional in his last assignment as he was in his first- and his analysis still told it like it was.
Al's numerous decorations and awards for his meticulous staff work include two Defense Superior Service Medals and four Meritorious Service Medals.
Upon learning that Al was retiring from the Army, I told our old boss from Ft Bliss, Gen LeVan, now himself retired and head of his own company, that Colonel Christensen was retiring and might be available to join our firm. General LeVan immediately said I remember Al, he is a good man, lets see if we can get him onboard.
Al joined us at ARES for a year before moving on to work for SRS and finally with TRW before succumbing to Lou Gehrig's disease. Al retired from TRW in August 1998.
Al earned respect and appreciation at every step of his long and distinguished career. He brought honor to his family and his country. He was a dear friend and Mary Jo and I are going to miss him very much.
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