Memorial Day 2011 we remember our cousin, Joe Paul Swendsen.

We mourn his death and celebrate his life.

Joe had a strong belief in both family and country. He chose to honor his grandfathers who had served before him by volunteering to serve in the Air National Guard. As part of his duty, he took time out from college to go on a special assignment to Diego Garcia, supplying necessities to the troops in Afghanistan. It was hot and humid in the middle of the Indian Ocean, and Joe hated the spiders, but he befriended the geckos in the shower. That was Joe.

He later continued his tradition of service to our country as an Air Traffic Controller. He graduated from the University of Alaska Anchorage with a degree in Air Traffic Control and started that career in Rockford, IL. He earned a transfer to the Minneapolis airport in October of 2010 and that is where he was currently working. He was really happy with his career and talked about it a lot. His co-workers there are surprised and saddened by his death.

Joe, you will be missed.
- Rog

Memorial Day 2011

As an annual tribute, I am publishing this page again to the memory of the following members of our families who are no longer with us, but did not hesitate to serve when their countries needed them. Sadly, the list keeps growing.

My wife's Great-great-great-great grandfather:
Woody Jones - Served with Andrew Jackson in Louisiana, War of 1812 †
Her Great-great-great-great Uncle
Wiley Jones - Served with Andrew Jackson in Louisiana, War of 1812 †


My wife's great-great grandfathers:
Samuel Runnels - 39th Mississippi Infantry, Battle of Vicksburg †
Robert J. Jones - 4th Mississippi Cavalry †


My Great-Grandfather:
Christen Godskesen – Royal Danish Army, Second Schleswig War of 1864 †

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

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

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

My cousin:
Joe Swendsen - Minnesota Air National Guard, Diego Garcia Airlift Command †

For all you did for us....we remember

Christen Godskesen, Second Schleswig War of 1864

My Great-great Grandfather Christen Godskesen, B 1837 - D 1906.

Christen served in the Royal Danish Army during the War with Germany in 1864. At the time, he was 26 years old, and Denmark had compulsory military service for all men.

The war began on 1 February 1864, when Prussian forces crossed the border into Schleswig.Denmark fought Prussia and Austria.

Reasons for the war were the ethnic controversy in Schleswig and the co-existence of conflicting political systems within the Danish unitary state.

The war ended on 30 October 1864, when the Treaty of Vienna caused Denmark's cession of the Duchies of Schleswig, Holstein, and Saxe-Lauenburg to Prussia and Austria.

Returning home after the War, Christen must have decided to get on with his life, and married Karen Jensdatter in December of that year.

I have the medal he received for his service in the War, which is one of my most prized possessions.


-Rog

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