Born in Dwight, Illinois

Dwight, Illinois

Dwight is a village in located mainly in Livingston County, Illinois, with a small portion in Grundy County, Illinois. The population was 4,260 at the 2010 census. Dwight contains an original stretch of the famous U.S. Route 66, and uses a railroad station designed in 1891 by Henry Ives Cobb. It is...

, 6 November 1919, Harold Jensen Christopher was commissioned ensign in the U.S. Naval Reserve 28 May 1941.

Defending Pearl Harbor Against Air Attack

After training at the Naval Air Station, San Pedro, California, reported for duty in USS Nevada (BB-36)

USS Nevada (BB-36)

USS Nevada , the second United States Navy ship to be named after the 36th state, was the lead ship of the two Nevada-class battleships; her sister ship was...

 on 5 August 1941. During the Japanese

Empire of Japan

The Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...

 attack on Pearl Harbor

Pearl Harbor

Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...

, 7 December 1941, Christopher realized his services were not needed at his regular station, and upon his own initiative he joined the crew of the 5" broadside battery, effectively controlling his part of the battery until killed.

Honored by Ship Naming

The USS Christopher (DE-100)

USS Christopher (DE-100)

USS Christopher was a Cannon class destroyer escort built for the U.S. Navy during World War II. She served in the Atlantic Ocean and provided escort service against submarine and air attack for Navy vessels and convoys...

was named, in 1943, in honor of this Navy Cross recipient.