Army Sergeant Warren S. Hansen - Wisconsin Military Casualty Compilation - Afghanistan/Iraq

16 August 2011

Army Sergeant Warren S. Hansen - Wisconsin Military Casualty Compilation - Afghanistan/Iraq

This entry was posted on 8/16/2011 1:30 AM and is filed under Wisconsin Military Casualties Afghanistan Iraq Compilation.

Army Sergeant Warren Scott Hansen, 36, Clintonville, Wisconsin, was killed on Saturday, November 15, 2003, when two UH Black Hawk helicopters collided in mid-air and crashed in the northern city of Mosul, Iraq. He was one of three Wisconsin solders killed in the incident. Sergeant Hansen was assigned to the 9th Battalion, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) out of Fort Campbell, Kentucky. 

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel notes the other two Wisconsin soldiers killed in the crash as Army Specialist Eugene A. Uhl III, 21, of Amherst, and Army Second Lieutenant Jeremy L. Wolfe, 27, of Menomonie. Seventeen 101st Airborne Division soldiers were killed in the crash. Hansen's late father had served in the military and his stepfather was a Marine in the Vietnam War. Hansen had been manager of his high school's basketball team. The Journal Sentinel went on to mention Hansen worked in maintenance and handled inspections for his aviation unit in the 101st Airborne Division. 

According to Wisconsin 2003 Assembly Joint Resolution 72 Sergeant Hansen was was born on May 2, 1967. He was the crew chief on his helicopter at the time of his death. 

An obituary posted by Clintonville VFW Post 664, notes Sergeant Hansen had been in the military for 17 years and had served in Saudi Arabia in support of Operation Desert Storm in 1991. He also had served tours in Korea, Germany, Kosovo, Bosnia, and Egypt. The posting also notes Hansen was born at the US Army Hospital in Heidelberg, Germany. He attended St. Martin Lutheran School, Clintonville. At the age of 15, Warren received the Ft. Howard Paper Foundation Medal of Valor Award for saving a person who had fallen through the ice while ice fishing at the Cloverleaf Lakes near Clintonville. He was single and joined the military soon after gradating from Clintonville High School in 1986. His hobbies included golf, football, baseball, volleyball, ice fishing, water skiing, deer hunting and darts.

Some of Sergeant Hansen's military awards include: Bronze Star; Purple Heart; Air Medal; Army Commendation Medal; Army Achievement Medal; Good Conduct Medal; National Defense Medal; Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal; Southwest Asia Service Medal With 2 Stars; Iraq Campaign Medal; Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal; Korean Defense Service Medal; Armed Forces Service Medal; NCO Professional Development Ribbon Basic Level; Army Service Ribbon; Overseas Service Ribbon; NATO Medal - B; Multinational Force And Observers; Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia); Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait); Presidential Unit Citation; Valorous Unit Award; Meritorious Unit Commendation; and, The Army Superior Unit Award.

At the time of his death Army Sergeant Warren Hansen was survived by: his mother Beth (Hempel) Karlson; stepfather James Karlson; brother Matthew Hansen; stepbrother Peter Karlson; paternal Grandparents Rose Thoyre and Evelyn Karlson; aunts Margo Hempel, Terry (Jerry) Stollfuss, Gail Schindler, Lillian (Eldon), Judy Schroeder, Nancy (Harold) Blum; uncles: Scott (Pam) Hempel; Charles (Dixie) Thoyre; and, niece Leah Karlson. He was preceded in death by his Father (James Hansen in 1972 while in the military).

An Associated Press release found on afwmf.org mentions that in honor of Hansen, his home town of Clintonville officially renamed River Street in his memory. It is now called Staff Sergeant Warren Hansen Drive.

Information for this short biography about Army Sergeant Warren Scott Hansen was pieced together from the following sources: The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Crash killed 3 from state," November 17, 2003;  Wisconsin 2003 Assembly Joint Resolution 72, "Relating to: the life and military service of United States Army Staff Sergeant Warren Scott Hansen"; Clintonville VFW Post 664 Obituary Posting, "Life Member SSG Warren S. Hansen"; afwmt.org, Associated Press release, "Street renamed for fallen Wisconsin soldier"; Wisconsin Department of Veteran Affairs "Fallen Heroes Page";  and, CNN.com "War Casualties Page." 

Note: This "Wisconsin Military Casualties Afghanistan Iraq Compilation" Daily Dadio blog Category is under construction. Go to the Cooldadiomedia Web site and the Wisconsin War Casualties Page for a list of names noted by date of death. 
[ If readers know of other military service persons with Wisconsin connections that are not on the Web site comprehensive list of fatal casualties, or notice errors, please email Bob Keith at keithrg13@cooldadiomedia.com ]