Father: Karl Carlsen
Brother: Rasmus
Wife: Thyra Oveda Knudsen
from Tor, whose grandfather was Captain Carlsen's nephew:
"... His younger brother Rasmus was my great-grandfather. Both were lifelong seamen. Berthel immigrated to the U.S. in 1894 and was ship's master of many vessels sailing the West Coast of the U.S., notably the USS Nantahala, which carried food relief from San Francisce to Fiume, Italy via New York in late 1918. He met his beloved wife Thyra Knudsen in Portland Oregon and they married in 1918."
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U.S. Merchant Marine
Significant Awards: MARINER’S MEDAL
MERCHANT MARINE COMBAT BAR
PACIFIC WAR ZONE MERCHANT MARINE BAR
On Dec. 7, 1941, BERTHEL CARLSEN was Master of the SS Cynthia Olson. Just minutes before the attack on Pearl Harbor, Japanese submarine I-26 attacked and sank the unarmed ship about 1000 miles northeast of Hawaii, making her the first American flag merchant ship to be sunk by a Japanese submarine. I-26 attacked with her deck guns from a surface position, and although an unknown number of men had manned the lifeboats, no survivors were ever found. The last thing heard from the Cynthia Olson was an SOS received at 0738 Hawaii time, " . . . under attack by a surfaced submarine."
There were 33 Merchant Mariners and two U.S. Army Privates on board; none survived.
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DAWN OF INFAMY, written by Stephen Harding, is an excellent book about the SS Cynthia Olson, the men who perished with her, and also about the captain of the Japanese submarine who torpedoed and sank her. Mr. Harding devoted several pages to Captain Carlsen, providing a description of an accomplished professional who had made a comfortable living for himself and his wife doing what he loved most.
Brother: Rasmus
Wife: Thyra Oveda Knudsen
from Tor, whose grandfather was Captain Carlsen's nephew:
"... His younger brother Rasmus was my great-grandfather. Both were lifelong seamen. Berthel immigrated to the U.S. in 1894 and was ship's master of many vessels sailing the West Coast of the U.S., notably the USS Nantahala, which carried food relief from San Francisce to Fiume, Italy via New York in late 1918. He met his beloved wife Thyra Knudsen in Portland Oregon and they married in 1918."
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
U.S. Merchant Marine
Significant Awards: MARINER’S MEDAL
MERCHANT MARINE COMBAT BAR
PACIFIC WAR ZONE MERCHANT MARINE BAR
On Dec. 7, 1941, BERTHEL CARLSEN was Master of the SS Cynthia Olson. Just minutes before the attack on Pearl Harbor, Japanese submarine I-26 attacked and sank the unarmed ship about 1000 miles northeast of Hawaii, making her the first American flag merchant ship to be sunk by a Japanese submarine. I-26 attacked with her deck guns from a surface position, and although an unknown number of men had manned the lifeboats, no survivors were ever found. The last thing heard from the Cynthia Olson was an SOS received at 0738 Hawaii time, " . . . under attack by a surfaced submarine."
There were 33 Merchant Mariners and two U.S. Army Privates on board; none survived.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
DAWN OF INFAMY, written by Stephen Harding, is an excellent book about the SS Cynthia Olson, the men who perished with her, and also about the captain of the Japanese submarine who torpedoed and sank her. Mr. Harding devoted several pages to Captain Carlsen, providing a description of an accomplished professional who had made a comfortable living for himself and his wife doing what he loved most.
Father: Karl Carlsen
Brother: Rasmus
Wife: Thyra Oveda Knudsen
from Tor, whose grandfather was Captain Carlsen's nephew:
"... His younger brother Rasmus was my great-grandfather. Both were lifelong seamen. Berthel immigrated to the U.S. in 1894 and was ship's master of many vessels sailing the West Coast of the U.S., notably the USS Nantahala, which carried food relief from San Francisce to Fiume, Italy via New York in late 1918. He met his beloved wife Thyra Knudsen in Portland Oregon and they married in 1918."
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
U.S. Merchant Marine
Significant Awards: MARINER’S MEDAL
MERCHANT MARINE COMBAT BAR
PACIFIC WAR ZONE MERCHANT MARINE BAR
On Dec. 7, 1941, BERTHEL CARLSEN was Master of the SS Cynthia Olson. Just minutes before the attack on Pearl Harbor, Japanese submarine I-26 attacked and sank the unarmed ship about 1000 miles northeast of Hawaii, making her the first American flag merchant ship to be sunk by a Japanese submarine. I-26 attacked with her deck guns from a surface position, and although an unknown number of men had manned the lifeboats, no survivors were ever found. The last thing heard from the Cynthia Olson was an SOS received at 0738 Hawaii time, " . . . under attack by a surfaced submarine."
There were 33 Merchant Mariners and two U.S. Army Privates on board; none survived.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
DAWN OF INFAMY, written by Stephen Harding, is an excellent book about the SS Cynthia Olson, the men who perished with her, and also about the captain of the Japanese submarine who torpedoed and sank her. Mr. Harding devoted several pages to Captain Carlsen, providing a description of an accomplished professional who had made a comfortable living for himself and his wife doing what he loved most.
Brother: Rasmus
Wife: Thyra Oveda Knudsen
from Tor, whose grandfather was Captain Carlsen's nephew:
"... His younger brother Rasmus was my great-grandfather. Both were lifelong seamen. Berthel immigrated to the U.S. in 1894 and was ship's master of many vessels sailing the West Coast of the U.S., notably the USS Nantahala, which carried food relief from San Francisce to Fiume, Italy via New York in late 1918. He met his beloved wife Thyra Knudsen in Portland Oregon and they married in 1918."
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
U.S. Merchant Marine
Significant Awards: MARINER’S MEDAL
MERCHANT MARINE COMBAT BAR
PACIFIC WAR ZONE MERCHANT MARINE BAR
On Dec. 7, 1941, BERTHEL CARLSEN was Master of the SS Cynthia Olson. Just minutes before the attack on Pearl Harbor, Japanese submarine I-26 attacked and sank the unarmed ship about 1000 miles northeast of Hawaii, making her the first American flag merchant ship to be sunk by a Japanese submarine. I-26 attacked with her deck guns from a surface position, and although an unknown number of men had manned the lifeboats, no survivors were ever found. The last thing heard from the Cynthia Olson was an SOS received at 0738 Hawaii time, " . . . under attack by a surfaced submarine."
There were 33 Merchant Mariners and two U.S. Army Privates on board; none survived.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
DAWN OF INFAMY, written by Stephen Harding, is an excellent book about the SS Cynthia Olson, the men who perished with her, and also about the captain of the Japanese submarine who torpedoed and sank her. Mr. Harding devoted several pages to Captain Carlsen, providing a description of an accomplished professional who had made a comfortable living for himself and his wife doing what he loved most.
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