06/06/2025
June 6, 2025
Early on June 6, 1944, LT Curt Hansen did not know that he would see the next hour of the day. He was 24 years old and captaining a landing craft headed for Red Dog Sector, Omaha Beach, Normandy (the landing craft image is from Omaha Beach), as America assaulted the tyrants of the time on D-Day, the largest seaborne invasion in history – 160,000 American, Canadian and British troops hitting five beaches that day, with another almost 200,000 naval personnel, all fighting for democracy.
Some 4,000 landing craft, including that commanded by LT Hansen, hit the various Normandy beaches. Omaha Beach, LT Hansen’s destination, was the most heavily defended beach of the five landing zones in Operation Overlord. Instead of a German regiment defending the beach, it was a German division. Strong currents negatively affected the landing; most of the beach obstacles at Omaha were not bombed because of wind affecting bombing runs. Some landing craft ran aground on sandbars.
The first two waves of landing craft and their troops, were for the most part destroyed. LT Hansen was in the third wave, the first effectively to make the beach, and did so not just once, but a second time with more troops. Along the way, an Army general told LT Hansen how to drive LT Hansen’s ship to the beach: LT Hansen "pointedly" told the GEN to shut up, that he, LT Hansen commanded this boat, and that the GEN could issue orders on the beach.
The third time in was not a charm. LT Hansen’s landing craft was destroyed, but LT Hansen made it to the beach and was later evacuated from the beach. He went on, in the Pacific, to help plan landings in Japan as America accelerated to the end of WWII.
Curt Hansen became a giant in the American choral community (he was a founder of the American Choral Directors Association and is in its hall of fame, including at Brainerd’s high school for many years. His accomplishments here were legendary, and he was lovingly known as “Coach.” In 1963, the high school yearbook was dedicated to him, stating that were it not for the respect that his students had for him, and the confidence in them which he expressed to them, “we would have no real music.”
Less known are the ongoing contributions Curt Hansen made to the cause of democracy, never having forgotten his many combat experiences in both the Pacific and Atlantic theatres of WWII. While in Brainerd for 13 years, in addition to his teaching music to Brainerd’s students, he tirelessly spoke on behalf of American democracy, including frequently with k – 12 students.
His presentations ended with these words:“[A]s a nation dedicated to the proposition of equality and individual freedom, each of us could well ask ourself a question put forth in a simple children’s book. A question that applies when we are deciding what we, as citizens, are required to do if we wish to guide our nation correctly.
“Asked Alice, ‘Would you tell me please, which way I ought to go from here?’
“’That depends,’ replied the cat, ‘a good deal on where you want to get to.’”
Curt Hansen (1920 – 2011) never forgot the lessons he learned in attacking Omaha Beach for American democracy. 45 years later, he returned to Omaha Beach (see the accompanying photograph) and met French citizens who lived in the landing zones, including on the cliffs above Omaha Beach.
Brainerd Public Schools has three “halls of fame” which enshrine a selection of students who have excelled in their contributions to the world after leaving Brainerd Public Schools. There is, regrettably, no hall of fame for former teachers in this more than 150 year old public school system, perhaps reflecting the inability of such a hall of fame to enshrine the astounding number of teachers who would justifiably be so honored.
If Brainerd Public Schools had an educator hall of fame, then Curt Hansen would be in its inaugural class of inductees.
