Paul Olif Swendsen - World War II

Submitted by Frank Swendsen

Paul Olif Swendsen



Dad enlisted in the fall of 1940 and served in WW2 from 1941 to 1945, when he was honorably discharged.

Let me give you a brief look at the stress he was under during his time at war.

His job was to be a forward observer for an artillery unit. There were large diameter cannons (as I described in my military service) that could shoot 5-20 miles+ away from where they were located. Sometimes these were Navy destroyers if you were landing on a beach.

Somebody had to tell these gun operators if they were hitting the target.

That is what our dad did. He traveled with a squad of 4 and they would move forward many miles until they would spot the enemy. They would then tell the artillery crew where to shoot. He would watch where the rounds landed and then inform the artillery unit how to adjust their shots.

There was one small problem with this. As soon as the enemy started getting artillery landing on them, they knew somebody was watching them. They would assume the enemy (Dad) was at a higher elevation, and they would either shoot artillery or send troops to get them.

Life expectancy for forward observers was very low.

Dad survived almost 4 years doing this! How stressful was that?

He went through a spell of PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) when he came back. Why wouldn’t he? It was called shell-shocked back then.

He told me one story where he and his squad were in the 2nd story of a building in a town directing the artillery. The Germans came into the building, but did not check the 2nd floor. His squad waited and American troops took the town hours later. He was pretty ecstatic at that point.

I always told dad that he was unnaturally lucky as he beat me regularly in cribbage. He laughed and continued to win.

Dad was part of the 3rd Infantry Division and was involved in landings in North Africa, Sicily Italy and France including the Anzio beachhead.

He was awarded the Bronze Star and the French Croix De Guerre.

I have the utmost respect for Dad’s service to our country and his recovery from the stress of his service.

Memorial Day 2009

I'd like to dedicate today's entry to the memory of those members of my family who did not hesitate to serve when their countries needed them:

My wife's great-great grandfather:

Samuel Runnels - 11th Mississippi Infantry, Battle of Vicksburg †

My great-grandfather:
Christian Godskesen, Royal Danish Army, Battle of Schleswig 1865†

My wife's grandfather:
Alonzo Runnels - US Army, WWI †

My grandfather:
Christian Martinus Swendsen, Royal Danish Army †

My great-uncle:
Oluf Swendsen, Royal Danish Army †

My Uncles:
Paul Swendsen - US Army forward artillery spotter - Europe, WWII †
Carl Swendsen - US Army, WWII †
Roy Swendsen - US Army Air Corp, South Pacific, WWII †
Henry Godskesen - US Army Engineering Corp, WWII †

My Aunt:
June Swendsen Bailey - US Army Nursing Corps †

My Father-In-Law:
Charlie Runnels - US Navy, Korea †

My cousin:
Harlan Roy Swendsen - US Navy, Vietnam †

My Brother-in-law:
Carlos Hernandez - US Army Helicopter Crewman, Vietnam †

For all you did for us, we remember
-Rog

Harlan Roy Swendsen - U.S. Navy 1970 - 1973

Harlan Roy Swendsen

Submitted by Millie Swendsen

Harlan enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1970 and in December of that year went to San Diego for boot camp. He also went to Vallejo, Ca for nuclear power school, also to Great Lakes and Idaho Falls, Idaho.

He was assigned to a nuclear submarine, the USS Gato and stationed at Pascagoula, Mississippi as well as New London, Conn. He did go the San Juan, Puerto Rico on one sea voyage while at New London.

On October 12, 1973 he was critically injured in a one-car accident and was hospitalized in Groton, Conn. We flew out to be with him. He died from his injuries on October 25, 1973. He was 23 years of age. Harlan was a Machinists Mate, 3rd Class.

Roy Harlan Swendsen - World War II

Roy Harlan Swendsen
Born March 20, 1920 to Chris and Albertine Swendsen


Submitted by Millie Swendsen, wife of Roy.

Roy enlisted on Feb 1942 in military service and was put into the Air Force. He went to airplane mechanic school in Texas from Feb to July, 1943. and from there was sent to the 90th Bomb Group in Greenville, S. Carolina. 90th Bomb Group was a 4-engined bomber group. In September they were sent to the South Pacific, where he served until the Japanese surrendered in 1945. He was a Staff Sergeant and a crew chief on the B-24’s.

He served in Australia, New Guinea, Hawaii, Mindanao, Mindinaco, Leyte, Biak, Waikiki, Luzon, Okinawa, Peleu, and Ie Shima.

He never had a furlough to come home as they needed mechanics over there!

Roy died 5-18-1998. As far as sorties he shared, I really can’t recall them. We went to several reunions of the Jolly Roger 90th Bomb Group and the guys had their own private memories – he and several others lived together in a tent for 3 years and became like brothers!!

Submitted by Karla Wester - Daughter: a collection of letters that Roy wrote home during the war. (I will post these as I get them, a wonderful collection)
-Rog

Frank Swendsen - US Army 1971-1972

Military Service History
Frank Henry Swendsen

I can clearly remember being in my parents kitchen on July 1, 1970 when a lottery for the draft took place. Birthdays were drawn and assigned a number. My birthday of May 28 was drawn 9th out of 365. I did not consider myself a winner at that point. Odds were I would get called to serve.

I was planning on going to my second year of college that fall at the University of Minnesota and continued with those plans. Later on in the summer I got the call to the US Army. I attended college that fall quarter, but was somewhat distracted and really should have taken it off.

I could have deferred my entrance into the military to complete my college education, but decided I did not want to go to the military after college and allowed myself to be drafted. I was the first person in Koochiching County, Minnesota to enter the military under the number system from 1970.

I reported to Fort Snelling on January 26, 1971 which happened to be my brother Paul’s 15th birthday. The next day I was sent to Fort Campbell, Kentucky for basic training and the start of a 24-month military obligation.

I went on to Fort Sill, Oklahoma in July for advanced training as an artillery surveyor. I happened to finish #1 in my class and was promoted to Specialist 4th class because of that. I stayed at that rank the rest of my military career.

At that point I had low, but very real, probability of going to Vietnam. Only about 1 out of 13 classes were being sent there, and based on my luck in the number draft, I was not overconfident. Fortunately, I got word that I was going to Germany. I ended up in Bamberg as a member of the 6th Battalion, 10th Field Artillery.

We basically were in charge of shooting 175 mm (about an 8” diameter barrel) artillery at the enemy. We could shoot about 33 klicks or 20 miles. My training as an artillery surveyor was tossed aside when I got to Germany and I was assigned to the fire direction center (FDC). We used slide rules and rudimentary computers to calculate what angle the guns should be set at, and what charge to put in to hit the target. The funny part was that we only had one range to shoot at, so the calculations never really changed! As an aside, my dad’s job in the army in WW2 was to be on the other end of the equation. He was the guy on the ground 20 miles away telling the FDC how close we were to hitting the target, and giving adjustments so we would. It was a very dangerous place to be.

I was not well suited for military life. My natural inclination is to question authority, and I do not like to follow direct orders without a reasonable explanation as to why. It just the way I am! Needless to say, that is not how the military operates. I muddled through without incident and was honorably discharged on November 29, 1972. The Vietnam War was winding down and early discharges were being offered if there was a good reason for it. I got out two months early to get back in time to start winter quarter at college. I stretched the truth a little about when college really started, so gained a month there!

On a positive note, my time in the army gave me opportunities I might not have had that were not related to the military.

I came back to the states, got married in July of 1972 and Doreen and I moved to Germany. We bought a used Peugot and spent the next 4 months traveling as much as one can on a $350/month salary along with some wedding money. It was a great experience for both of us.

The opportunity to get to a foreign country opened my eyes to world travel and learning about other cultures. It is something I enjoy to this day.