MD MD - Frank Thomas Christensen, USAF, 20, Missing 8 July 1977

[Teamir]

Can any one locate a date of birth? I’m thinking if he built a life somewhere else, he may have used his actual date of birth. Did he have any siblings?
Edited to say he had four brothers and three sisters per the scanned article about his paper route.

 

[Keiri]

I’ve had no luck on the dob.

 

[Keiri]

New Exclusion, Christensen: The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)
for a total of 30: these, virginias, and one ohio:

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) (the ohio one)

 

[Richard]

Bumping this thread up.

 

[Keiri]

Bumping this thread up.

Do you have any theories?

 

[Richard]

Do you have any theories?

Unfortunately, there is very little information available to draw solid conclusions.

I wonder what his mode of transportation back to Andrew's AFB was? Personal auto, bus, other?

How much leave did he have to use? Maybe he planned to spend time visiting other people or places after departing his Wisconsin home?

Airman Christensen was declared AWOL when he failed to report back off leave. This is and was standard procedure in all branches of the military.

After 30 days, he would have been declared a Deserter for strictly administrative reasons - not as a criminal determination or conviction. Such an action stops all pay, allowances, and privileges.

 

[Keiri]

Unfortunately, there is very little information available to draw solid conclusions.

I wonder what his mode of transportation back to Andrew's AFB was? Personal auto, bus, other?

How much leave did he have to use? Maybe he planned to spend time visiting other people or places after departing his Wisconsin home?

Airman Christensen was declared AWOL when he failed to report back off leave. This is and was standard procedure in all branches of the military.

After 30 days, he would have been declared a Deserter for strictly administrative reasons - not as a criminal determination or conviction. Such an action stops all pay, allowances, and privileges.

Given that his wife and child died in a car accident, I strongly suspect he killed himself. But I can't find any confirmation of that, although I haven't looked in Canada.

 

[cenazoic]

Given that his wife and child died in a car accident, I strongly suspect he killed himself.

But how do you account for the gap between his reported disappearance (1977) and their deaths in 1979?

I mean, I can’t account for it either, but my first thought about the letter in 1979 saying he was okay was sent to reassure his parents that he wasn’t involved the accident.

 

[Keiri]

But how do you account for the gap between his reported disappearance (1977) and their deaths in 1979?

I mean, I can’t account for it either, but my first thought about the letter in 1979 saying he was okay was sent to reassure his parents that he wasn’t involved the accident.

Oh I can't account for anything. It's just a guess. I don't suppose we'll ever know, even if we find his remains. I suppose if I was made to answer, he ran off not wanting to return, makes a family, family dies, he kills himself. (not trying to be coldhearted). Alternatively, he "became" someone else which was a lot easier to do in the 70s.

 

[Teamir]

Idea at bottom of loooong paragraphs, that I think he might be in covert military.

I dug into this one on newspaper dot com and ancestry dot com. His father's obituary in the Racine Journal Times on 12/25/1986 lists Frank as a surviving son in Racine. His mother's obituary in the Racine Journal Times on 12/28/1992 lists Frank as a surviving son in Racine. I can find engagement and wedding announcements for his siblings, but not for him. His father had an older brother also named Frank Thomas Christensen, and he died in Racine in 1983. So it's possible that missing Frank went by a different name to avoid confusion with his uncle's name.

Per that article above about him being a mail carrier, on 6/3/1973, they said he is 14 (the address aligns with his parent's address that I found). They said he was in 8th grade, but I believe he had just finished 8th grade. That puts his year of birth around 1959. On 4/19/1960 in the Racine Journal Times, there a birth announcement for his parent's having a girl. So he was not born in 1960. On 9/4/1975 there's a article that says he is a former Horlick High School student, had enlisted in the Air Force and would take law enforcement specialist training after completing basic at Lackland AFB, San Antonio. That implies that he attended Horlick High School in spring of 1975. The age to enter the military with parental consent was 17. So if he was 14 on 6/3/1973, but 17 by at least 9/4/1975, then he must've turned 15 very shortly after the 6/3/1973 news article. OR his parent's helped him fudge his birth date for entering the military. Either way, it seems he did not complete high school.

Incidentally, there is a Thomas Christensen in the 1975 Jerome I Case High School, who looks EXACTLY like him, glasses and all, but not sure how that could be him.

I cannot confirm in any way that he married a Melissa or had a child Charity.

I have to say, I'm starting to suspect that he did not actually go AWOL, and is not actually missing. A possibility is that he went into a classified section of the military, and that's why the records are so very scrubbed. The reference to military 'law enforcement specialist training' is what makes me think this. The loss of a spouse and child, could've made it so he decided to take deeply undercover positions.

 

[Brightchaser47]

Idea at bottom of loooong paragraphs, that I think he might be in covert military.

I dug into this one on newspaper dot com and ancestry dot com. His father's obituary in the Racine Journal Times on 12/25/1986 lists Frank as a surviving son in Racine. His mother's obituary in the Racine Journal Times on 12/28/1992 lists Frank as a surviving son in Racine. I can find engagement and wedding announcements for his siblings, but not for him. His father had an older brother also named Frank Thomas Christensen, and he died in Racine in 1983. So it's possible that missing Frank went by a different name to avoid confusion with his uncle's name.

Per that article above about him being a mail carrier, on 6/3/1973, they said he is 14 (the address aligns with his parent's address that I found). They said he was in 8th grade, but I believe he had just finished 8th grade. That puts his year of birth around 1959. On 4/19/1960 in the Racine Journal Times, there a birth announcement for his parent's having a girl. So he was not born in 1960. On 9/4/1975 there's a article that says he is a former Horlick High School student, had enlisted in the Air Force and would take law enforcement specialist training after completing basic at Lackland AFB, San Antonio. That implies that he attended Horlick High School in spring of 1975. The age to enter the military with parental consent was 17. So if he was 14 on 6/3/1973, but 17 by at least 9/4/1975, then he must've turned 15 very shortly after the 6/3/1973 news article. OR his parent's helped him fudge his birth date for entering the military. Either way, it seems he did not complete high school.

Incidentally, there is a Thomas Christensen in the 1975 Jerome I Case High School, who looks EXACTLY like him, glasses and all, but not sure how that could be him.

I cannot confirm in any way that he married a Melissa or had a child Charity.

I have to say, I'm starting to suspect that he did not actually go AWOL, and is not actually missing. A possibility is that he went into a classified section of the military, and that's why the records are so very scrubbed. The reference to military 'law enforcement specialist training' is what makes me think this. The loss of a spouse and child, could've made it so he decided to take deeply undercover positions.

That makes sense.

 

[Keiri]

Then why did the OAF bother putting him on the missing list? As cover?

This was 1975, the Vietnam war was going on, they did take kids who didn’t finish high school. That fits. But would be surprised with the war going on since the 60s they send some fresh kid right out of high school into top secret missions, even if he was trained for it. They probably had a standing group of soldiers for that who at least had fighting experience and clearance, I don’t know though.

 

[Teamir]

Then why did the OAF bother putting him on the missing list? As cover?

This was 1975, the Vietnam war was going on, they did take kids who didn’t finish high school. That fits. But would be surprised with the war going on since the 60s they send some fresh kid right out of high school into top secret missions, even if he was trained for it. They probably had a standing group of soldiers for that who at least had fighting experience and clearance, I don’t know though.

Yes possibly a cover story. I think if he was angling into covert military after basic, he wouldn’t have gone straight into missions. But if he was on that path, then they would’ve already told him to keep himself out of newspapers to prepare.

 

[Quoththeraven]

A white aiguillette on a U.S. Air Force uniform typically signifies a Chapel Student Leader. These Airmen serve as student liaisons, providing guidance and support to their fellow students, particularly within the chaplaincy. They also help connect students with various base services and resources.

In the U.S. Air Force, white gloves are primarily worn by members of the Honor Guard, Drill Team, and Bands. These units, including the Air Force Drill Team, base honor guards, and USAF marching units, wear white gloves as part of their distinctive honor guard uniforms.

Source of photo:

Frank Thomas Christensen

Frank Thomas Christensen was an 18-year-old U.S. Air Force Airman. He had left Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland and returned to his home in Racine, Wisconsin for an approved leave. Frank’s family said that he left Wisconsin and was returning to the Air Force Base in Maryland. Frank was due to...

www.wimissing.org

Frank Thomas was born Thursday, Jan 16 1958

Source of news article: Search - Newspapers.com™ The Journal Times, Fri, Jan 17, 1958, page 11

In the Air Force, the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI), the federal law enforcement & counterintelligence agency for the USAF is the primary organization responsible for investigating AWOL cases. AFOSI investigates criminal activity, including desertion and unauthorized absence, among other offenses.

As far as Frank T. Christensen taking law enforcement specialist training means he trained to become a law enforcement member of the US Air Force Security Forces.

Nothing on Charity or Melissa Christensen.

 

[Rockwellinvestigates.com]

Frank Christensen has been found.

 

[Rockwellinvestigates.com]

A white aiguillette on a U.S. Air Force uniform typically signifies a Chapel Student Leader. These Airmen serve as student liaisons, providing guidance and support to their fellow students, particularly within the chaplaincy. They also help connect students with various base services and resources.

In the U.S. Air Force, white gloves are primarily worn by members of the Honor Guard, Drill Team, and Bands. These units, including the Air Force Drill Team, base honor guards, and USAF marching units, wear white gloves as part of their distinctive honor guard uniforms.

Source of photo:

Frank Thomas Christensen

Frank Thomas Christensen was an 18-year-old U.S. Air Force Airman. He had left Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland and returned to his home in Racine, Wisconsin for an approved leave. Frank’s family said that he left Wisconsin and was returning to the Air Force Base in Maryland. Frank was due to...

www.wimissing.org

View attachment 583050

Frank Thomas was born Thursday, Jan 16 1958

Source of news article: Search - Newspapers.com™ The Journal Times, Fri, Jan 17, 1958, page 11
View attachment 583052

In the Air Force, the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI), the federal law enforcement & counterintelligence agency for the USAF is the primary organization responsible for investigating AWOL cases. AFOSI investigates criminal activity, including desertion and unauthorized absence, among other offenses.

As far as Frank T. Christensen taking law enforcement specialist training means he trained to become a law enforcement member of the US Air Force Security Forces.

Nothing on Charity or Melissa Christensen.

He has been found.

 

[Rockwellinvestigates.com]

Yes possibly a cover story. I think if he was angling into covert military after basic, he wouldn’t have gone straight into missions. But if he was on that path, then they would’ve already told him to keep himself out of newspapers to prepare.

He has been found.

 

[The4TierBridge]

Frank Christensen has been found.

Do you have any sources or evidence? What do you mean by found? All relevant missing persons' profiles remain active as of 10/01/2025.

 

[Keiri]

I assume you know something that hasn’t been released. I will keep an eye out for information. We’d all like to know, I bet.