Hans Christian Adamson
Hans Christian Adamson (July 20, 1890 – September 11, 1968) was a Danish-born American journalist and author. He was born in Varde, Denmark, and died in San Francisco, California. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
During World War II, he served in the United States Army Air Forces and retired as a full colonel. He earned two Legion of Merit awards: one for his work at the Army Air Corps Headquarters, and another for promoting the Army’s High School Victory Corps, delivering as many as seven 45-minute talks a day to high school students and civic groups. He had a heart attack in 1943.
In October 1942, while Eddie Rickenbacker toured Pacific air bases, their B-17 bomber strayed off course and ditched in the Central Pacific. Adamson, then an Army Captain, and Rickenbacker, along with the other crew, spent 24 days adrift in life rafts. They survived on rainwater and whatever food they could find, including seagulls; their food ran out after three days. They were rescued on November 13 by a US Navy float plane off Nukufetau, Tuvalu. All crew members suffered from hyperthermia, sunburn, dehydration, and near-starvation.
After finishing his military career, Adamson wrote books and radio drama scripts. He was also a journalist and author.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 03:50 (CET).