Christian Nelson

At an early age Christian flashed signs of becoming an incredible athlete. At the ripe young age of 10, after being discovered by former Olympian ski racer, Billy Kidd, Christian became a 2X national ski champion. Christian spent two winters training in Steamboat, Colorado and trained with the US Ski Team in Switzerland during the summer. During high school, Christian traded in his ski poles, golf clubs and tennis racket and received varsity letters in basketball, baseball, and football. He graduated from Central High School in La Crosse, Wisconsin in 1997.

With vast opportunities to assert his athletic abilities at many colleges, Christian chose instead to attend the United States Military Academy at West Point, in order to pursue a dream of helping others as a doctor. As a freshman, Christian earned the prestigious “Top Gun” award in mathematics and again earned the “Top Gun” award for science as a sophomore. Christian graduated from West Point with the class of 2001.

Shortly after graduation, Christian was commissioned as a first lieutenant to lead a medic platoon in the United States Army. He was deployed with the 1-64 Armor battalion, playing a key role in Operation Iraqi Freedom I from 2002-2003. His unit received heavy fire on the frontline in a number of key battles, making their way through Iraq to the outskirts of Baghdad. From there, he and his unit of 900 soldiers heroically captured Baghdad and Saddam Hussein’s palace in the historic Thunder Run. Christian was nominated for a Bronze Star for his part in those battles.

Venerated as American Heroes, and hailed in the Pulitzer Prize nominated book, Thunder Run: The Armored Strike to Capture Baghdad, the story of Christian, and the men he fought beside became a NY Times bestseller:

“In one of the boldest gambles in modern military history, just three battalions and fewer than a thousand men launched a violent thrust of tanks and Bradley Fighting Vehicles into the heart of a city of 5 million people and, in three bloody days of combat, ended the Iraqi war. Thunder Run is the story of the surprise assault on Baghdad - one of the most decisive battles in American combat history - by the Spartan Brigade, the Second Brigade of the Third Infantry Division (Mechanized).”

During his Army service, Christian was awarded numerous commendations including: Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Presidential Unit Citation, Combat Medical Badge and Expert Field Medical Badge. Christian always considered "serving and protecting" to be his highest honor.

Christian earned a highly competitive score on the MCAT medical school entrance exam prior to deployment. However, after the war, Christian believed that he could make a greater impact in Hospital Administration, focusing on the struggles of military veterans. Christian went on to earn a master’s degree in Healthcare Administration from Baylor University and focused on his work in VA hospitals at the following bases:

• 2003 - 2004 Fort Stewart, GA,

• 2004 - 2007 Fort Irwin, CA

• 2007 - 2008 Army-Baylor MHA at AMEDD Center and School

• 2008 - 2009 Reynolds Community Hospital Fort Sill, OK

• 2009 - 2012 WINN Army Community Hospital Fort Stewart, GA

• 2012 - 2013 Martin Army Community Hospital Fort Benning, GA

Major Nelson retired from the Army in 2019 after 22 years of service. Feeling good about his career, and his impact, Christian turned his attention to hobbies from his youth. He once again demonstrated his competitive spirit in tennis, and ski racing, competing and winning various events. Christian also found spirituality and loved being involved with Community Bible Church. Recently, Christian showed interest in finance and passed the FINRA Series 7 exam.

Christian was a leader. He was an extremely big-hearted, intelligent, athletically gifted, caring, friendly and outgoing person. He loved to tell jokes to elicit a smile and laughter from others. He was extremely affable and had a contagious personality that would often linger after having spent any time in his presence. Most of all, Christian was humble. Despite all of his accomplishments, he spent most of his time highlighting the achievements of others.

Like his father “Doc,” Christian was most proud of his children. He loved nothing more in this world than to spend time with Alex (14) and Amelia (10). Christian enjoyed coaching them in sports, taking them on trips to the beach, boating and riding bikes through the neighborhood, among many other activities. He loved reading books to them at night when they were young and having them fall asleep on his shoulder. He loved and cherished them the most in this world. Now that heaven has a new Angel, he will be watching over them forever.

Christian is going to be greatly missed but never forgotten by those who knew him. He will always be remembered and loved as a “True American Hero, loving father, husband and brother.”

Christian is survived by his son Alex; his daughter Amelia; his former wife Kate; his brothers Kirsten and Kerry; his sister Annie; and his mother Nancy.

In lieu of flowers, a Go Fund Me account has been set up by his tennis team to benefit his two children. https://gofund.me/0cec367b

A funeral service for Christian will be held Wednesday, March 8, 2023 from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM at Community Bible Church, 2477 N Loop 1604 E, San Antonio, TX 78232. Following the funeral service will be a committal service from 1:15 PM to 1:45 PM at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery, 1520 Harry Wurzbach Rd, San Antonio, TX 78209.