World War II Medal of Honor Recipient. A flying ace who was credited with shooting down 25 enemy aircraft, he received the award posthumously (presented to his mother) from US Marine Corps Major General Lewis G. Merritt in Boston, Massachusetts, on August 19, 1944, for his actions as a 1st lieutenant with US Marine Fighting Squadron 215, on November 1, 1943 and January 24, 1944, at Bougainville and New Britain Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. The son of Methodist missionaries who served in India, he returned to the US in 1938 and was attending Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota, when the US entered World War II. He enlisted for naval flight training in May 1942 and earned his wings and a Marine Corps commission as a second lieutenant the following year. In June 1943 he was sent to the South Pacific and his daring tactics and total disregard for death soon became well known. A master of individual air combat, he downed 20 enemy planes in six consecutive flying days and was commended in the citation accompanying the Medal of Honor for his bold attack against six enemy torpedo bombers on November 1, 1943, over Bougainville Island, and for bringing down four Japanese Zeros, while fighting them alone over New Britain on January 24, 1944. the ace was shot down twice. The first time, a Zero caught him over Bougainville Island. Bringing his plane down on the ocean, he paddled for six hours in a rubber life raft before being rescued by the Navy destroyer USS Sigourney (DD-643). His second and fatal crash occurred on February 3, 1944, when his plane crashed into the sea after a cancelled (due to overcast) fighter sweep mission over Rabaul, New Britain. His body was never recovered. He was also awarded the Navy Cross, the Purple Heart (with one gold star), and the Air Medal, among others. His Medal of Honor citation reads: "For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as fighter pilot attached to Marine Fighting Squadron 215 in action against enemy Japanese forces at Bougainville Island, 1 November 1943; and New Britain Island, 24 January 1944. Undeterred by fierce opposition, and fearless in the face of overwhelming odds, 1st Lt. Hanson fought the Japanese boldly and with daring aggressiveness. On 1 November, while flying cover for our landing operations at Empress Augusta Bay, he dauntlessly attacked six enemy torpedo bombers, forcing them to jettison their bombs and destroying one Japanese plane during the action. Cut off from his division while deep in enemy territory during a high cover flight over Simpson Harbor on 24 January, 1st Lt. Hanson waged a lone and gallant battle against hostile interceptors as they were orbiting to attack our bombers and, striking with devastating fury, brought down four Zeros and probably a fifth. Handling his plane superbly in both pursuit and attack measures, he was a master of individual air combat, accounting for a total of 25 Japanese aircraft in this theater of war. His great personal valor and invincible fighting spirit were in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service."