Sergeant Hanson was a veteran of World War II. In Korea, he was a member of Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry Regimental Combat Team. He was seriously wounded while fighting the enemy near Pongam-ni, Korea, on 11 August 1950 and died of those wounds shortly thereafter.

Hanson was awarded the Purple Heart, the Combat Infantryman's Badge, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Presidential Unit Citation, the Republic of Korea War Service Medal and the World War II Victory Medal.