Private First Class Christenson was a medic with the Medical Company, 187th Airborne Infantry Regimental Combat Team. He was seriously wounded while tending his wounded comrades in South Korea on 28 March 1951 and died of those wounds the following day.

Christenson was awarded the Purple Heart, the Combat Medical Badge, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Presidential Unit Citation and the Republic of Korea War Service Medal.