Michael Durham Christian (1940 - 1983)

Lieutenant Commander Mike Christian was a Prisoner of War for 2141 days during the Vietnam War.

Biography

Lieutenant Commander Mike Christian served in the United States Navy in the Vietnam War
Service started: 1958
Unit(s): VA-85, USS Kitty Hawk (CVA-63)
Service ended: 1978

Birth

Michael Deward Christian was born on 17 October 1940 in Huntsville, Madison, Alabama, United States to William Deward Christian (1915-1999) and Catherine Annette Durham (1920-1972), known as Annette or Ann.

Siblings

1. Pat Christian. She married Mr. Endres.
2. Lary Alan Christian.

Education

He attended Butler High School in Huntsville, Alabama. From there he went to the University of Alabama for 1 semester and Purdue University where he received his Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering in January 1964.

After his return from North Vietnam, he attended Old Dominion University for post graduate studies from June 1974 until August 1976. From there he was sent to Armed Forces Staff College at Norfolk, Virginia until January 1977.

Marriage and Family

He married Charlotte Ruth Strong (b. 10 July 1940 in Huntsville, Madison, Alabama). They divorced 19 August 1983 in Virginia, USA. She later married Mr. Neal.

Children of the Christian-Strong Marriage

1. Deborah Kaye Christian was born on 4 May 1960. (Charlotte has stated that Debbie was 7 when Mike was shot down.). She was 13 when he was released. She married 1) Mr. Pickren before 1975 and 2) Gary Wayne Lambert (b. 1961 ) before 1983 and they divorced on 22 July 1997 in Pinellas County, Florida. Living. Last name Davis.
2. Sandra Dawn Christian was born c. 1962 (Charlotte stated that Sandy was 5 when her dad was shot down.). She was 11 when he was released.
3. Pamela Joan Christian was born c. 1965 (Charlotte says that Pamela was 2 when her dad was shot down.). She was 8 when he was released.

Military Service

Mike enlisted in the United States Navy on 29 January 1958. He was first trained as an aviation electronics technician. In January 1959 he was assigned to NAF Annapolis, Maryland. He served on an SA-16 Albatross crew there until June 1960. Then he was sent to the Naval Enlisted Scientific Education Program. After receiving his Bachelor's Degree, he was commissioned through Officer Candidate School as an Ensign on 3 June 1964.

His next assignment was aboard the destroyer USS Dahlgren (DLG-12) as an Electronics Maintenance Officer from July 1964 until August 1965. He entered Naval Flight Officer School at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida in September 1965.

In June 1966 Lt. Christian was a Naval Flight Officer and then he completed Navigator-Bombardier training in the A-6 Intruder with VA-123 at Whidbey Island, Washington and VA-42 at Naval Air Station Oceana, Virginia.

He was assigned to VA-85 aboard the aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63) in February 1967. He started flying combat missions in the A-6A Intruder, an attack plane, in Southeast Asia by March 1967 until he was forced to eject over North Vietnam and was captured by enemy forces.

He was a Prisoner of War from 24 April 1967 to 4 March 1973, when he was released in Operation Homecoming. ^[1]

Mike was in an A-6A Intruder with VA-85 flown by Lt. Lewis Irving Williams, Jr., known as Irv, as the backseat bombardier/navigator on a mission on 24 April 1967, launched off the USS Kitty Hawk (CVA 63). Hit by anti-aircraft fire. Both men safely ejected and reported their condition as good. Near Kep in Ha Bac Provence. They were captured almost immediately. The Vietnamese would not admit to his family that he was alive for 3 years after he was shot down.

Fellow POW and cellmate Senator John S. McCain III telling the Mike Christian Flag Story on UTube ^[2]

When he returned from incarceration, he was hospitalized at the United States Naval Hospital in Portsmouth, Virginia for a brief time to recover from his injuries. Then he joined VA-42 at Naval Air Station Oceana from October 1973 until June 1974.

Lieutenant Commander Christian served as a Maintenance Officer at Naval Air Station Oceana, Virginia from January to October 1977. He went from there to Fleet Area Control and Surveillance Facility in Virginia until his retirement in early 1978.

Military Honors

His 2nd Silver Star Citation:

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity while interned as a Prisoner of War in North Vietnam on 20 June 1969. His captors, completely ignoring international agreements, subjected him to extreme mental and physical cruelties in an attempt to obtain military information and false confessions for propaganda purposes. Through his resistance to those brutalities, he contributed significantly toward the eventual abandonment of harsh treatment by the North Vietnamese, which was attracting international attention. By his determination, courage, resourcefulness, and devotion to duty, he reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the Naval Service and the United States Armed Forces.

1. 2 Silver Star Medals
2. Legion of Merit with V Device
3. Bronze Star Medal with V Device and 2 Stars
4. Purple Heart with 1 Star
5. Air Medal with 3 Stars (4 Air Medals)
6. Navy Commendation Medal with V Device
7. Navy Combat Action Ribbon

The full ribbon set is found here.

Retirement from the United States Navy

Mike retired on 1 February 1978 while still at Armed Forces Staff College. He retired due to his extreme protest of then President-elect Jimmy Carter's amnesty plan for draft dodgers. He threw his medals on the grave of a veteran.

After retirement he started his own business as Manager of Michael's Restaurants & Nightclub according to his Death Certificate.

Death and Burial

Lieutenant Colonel Christian died at the age of 42 in a pre-dawn townhouse fire at 2268 Chadwick Drive in Virginia Beach, Virginia, United States on 4 September 1983. He tried to get out but couldn't due to bars on the upstairs windows and death was asphyxia by smoke inhalation c. 4:20 A.M. He was buried in the Huntsville Memory Gardens, Huntsville, Madison, Alabama. Find A Grave: Memorial #25251536

There are other photos of and about Mike on the Find A Grave Memorial page.

Posthumous Honors

On 4 March 2003, the Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Alabama, the Honorable Robert Edward Cramer, Jr., rose to his feet in the United States House of Representatives and spoke a tribute to Michael Christian. He cited his Prisoner of War experience and the fact that it was now the 30th anniversary of his release. He told about his medals and about the flag that he sewed in prison out of scraps with a bamboo needle that he had made. He also told how important that small symbol was to boost the morale of all of his cellmates. Incidentally, Mike's younger brother Lary said Mike never said anything about the story; he never bragged...We never knew anything about that part of him till the '88 convention. I thank Leo [Thorsness] and McCain for keeping his memory alive.

Sources

• POW network at for entire article.
• Veteran Tributes. The full tribute is here.
• The Citizens Flag Alliance. The Story of Mike Christian, Vietnam POW. Find entire article about Mike and his flag here.
• Congressional Record for 4 March 2003. The entire speech is found here.
• 1959 U.S. City Directories for Annapolis, Maryland for Michael and Charlotte Christian living at 818 Bay Ridge Avenue. US Navy is his employer. Page 75.
• 1965 U.S. Military Register states that he became an Ensign on 3 June 1964.
• 1967 U.S. Navy Cruise Book for USS Kitty Hawk (CVA-63). He is a Ltjg.
• 1970 U.S. Military Register states that he became a Lieutenant on 1 December 1967.
• 1972 U.S. Military Register on 31 December states that he became a LCdr on 1 July 1972 while he was a POW.
• Combat Area Casualties Returned Alive File, 5/1/1962-3/22/1979 [Archival Database]; Records on Military Personnel Who Died, Were Missing in Action or Prisoners of War as a Result of the Vietnam Conflict, 1/20/1967-12/1998; Records of the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Record Group 330; National Archives at College Park, College Park, MD. Return date.
• Virginia Divorce Record in Virginia Beach Circuit Court, Virginia for Michael Durham Christian and Charlotte Ruth Strong with marriage and divorce dates, 3 children, separated for more than 1 year (separated 24 December 1979). At the time of the divorce they both lived in the city of Virginia Beach, Virginia. His education consisted of 12 years of secondary school and 4 years of college. Her education consisted of 12 years of secondary school. Divorce final decree 19 August 1983.
• 1978 U.S. Military Registers for Navy and Reserve Retired Officers on 1 October for Michael D. Christian.
• FamilySearch Summary
• U.S. Social Security Death Index for Michael D. Christian.
• Virginia Death Record for Michael Durham Christian.
• Find A Grave Index.

Footnotes

1. ↑ NAM POW list
2. ↑ This is the famous story of Mike making a small American Flag out of scraps that has often been told by fellow POWs, but became famous during John McCain's Presidential run.

Acknowledgements