Trygve Hansen Obituary, Death – We are deeply saddened by the death of Trygve Hansen, a Norwegian war veteran who died in January. During WWII, Trygve Hansen served his country. Mr. Hansen served in the armed forces for the duration of the Second World War, taking part in both offensive and defensive operations.
As a member of the Norwegian Navy, he escorted Allied convoys to Murmansk, was hit by several torpedoes, and witnessed the sinking of the German battlecruiser Scharnhorst off the coast of Northern Norway by the destroyer Stord in December 1943. The Scharnhorst was one of Germany’s largest warships at the time. The event in question is known as the “Sinking of the Scharnhorst.” On that fateful day, 31 of his close Norwegian friends were permanently separated from him. After another six months of waiting, he found himself right in the middle of the largest landing operation in human history, which took place on D-day in Normandy.
During Norway’s national commemoration of the 75th anniversary of D-Day in Normandy, Mr. Hansen was honored as our country’s veteran of honor. The event was held in Norway. Mr. Hansen moved to the United States after the war and was inducted as an honorary member of the American Legion shortly after his arrival. He did not leave that area for the rest of his life and died in Connecticut. In the year 2021, he returned to Norway to take part in the ceremony commemorating the opening of the new Veterans Monument in Oslo. Members of the Norwegian government, including King Harald, Prime Minister Erna Solberg,
Defense Chief Eirik Kristoffersen, and others, greeted him at the location. Mr. Hansen’s trip to Norway this time was the last one he would ever take. Our Military Attache Kre Braendeland delivered a speech on behalf of the Norwegian Armed Forces (@forsvaret) at his memorial service last weekend. The memorial service was held in Oslo. Mr. Brndeland wanted Mr. Hansen to know how grateful he was for his selfless service to both his country and the people who lived there. He drew our attention to the fact that freedom and peace do not appear out of thin air. There is a cost to be paid for liberty. It is critical that we fight for it and protect it. The importance of Mr. Hansen’s work to Norway will never be underestimated. We are eternally grateful for all of his tireless efforts on our behalf.