Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: Phaser11 on January 26, 2009, 10:39:26 AM
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James E. Swett
REDDING, Calif. (AP) - James E. Swett, a Marine Corps pilot who received the Medal of Honor for shooting down seven Japanese bombers, has died. He was 88.
Swett died Jan. 18 at Mercy Medical Center in Redding after a long illness, his son, John Swett, said Saturday.
Swett was a 22-year-old first lieutenant leading his first combat mission on April 4, 1943, when he earned the Medal of Honor.
He brought down a Japanese Val dive bomber and then two more. One of the wings of his plane was damaged by anti-aircraft flak, but he shot down four more bombers. He engaged with another bomber but was hit, his windscreen shattered and his engine on fire.
He had to ditch his plane off Tulagi island and hit hard, breaking his nose and getting dragged into the water before breaking free. He was rescued by a small Coast Guard boat.
During his service in World War II, Swett was credited with downing more than 15 enemy planes and won a number of other awards including six Distinguished Flying Cross medals.
He left active duty in the Marines in 1950 and joined the reserves, becoming a colonel before retirement in 1970.
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Wow, I never realized he lived in the area.
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His story was on a Dogfights replay the other night.
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To a Marine Corps legend.
R.I.P. and Semper Fi Col. Swett say Hello to Chesty for the rest of us.
Now Heaven's streets are guarded by one more Marine (Those who don't know the Marine Corps Hymn won't understand)
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(http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff186/obie303/airplanepictures_2034_2033065.jpg)
One of my favorite prints depicting Col. Swett. :salute
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The poem, High Flight, has over the years become a mantra to pilots.
It is reproduced here as a tribute to, and in memory of pilots of all generations.
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High Flight
Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
Of sun-split clouds - and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of - wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there
I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air.
Up, up the long delirious, burning blue,
I've topped the windswept heights with easy grace
Where never lark, or even eagle flew -
And, while with silent lifting mind I've trod
The high untresspassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand and touched the face of God.
Pilot Officer Gillespie Magee
No 412 squadron, RCAF
Killed 11 December 1941
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I had a chance to meet Jimmy Swett, at an airshow with my son. He stopped to talk to us and thanked us for remembering him. I was amazed at what a kind and gentle man he was. I was proud to have met him and to have my then young son meet him.
Jimmy Swett was kind enough to autograph my old copy of "Great American Fighter Pilots of WW2" that had gotten me hooked on WW2 aviation back in grade school.
(http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s199/guppy35/JSwett.jpg)
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Someone told me recently we are losing 1000 WW2 vets a day now, I do not know if that is accurate or not. But, I look at the obits now on a daily basis and see that there are at least 5 to 6 vets in my local paper everyday. It is sad to see, imagine all of the stories never being told.
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(http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff186/obie303/airplanepictures_2034_2033065.jpg)
One of my favorite prints depicting Col. Swett. :salute
Figures the Navy are Flying F4U's while the Corps are flying outdated F4F's. Improvise, Overcome and Adapt, Oorah Marines!
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Semper Fi, Sir. :salute
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They sure don't make 'em like him anymore... :frown:
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