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View Full Version : 6th Annual Medal Of Honor Day



sgt tony
03-24-07, 09:48 PM
This was held March 24, 2007 at the Tulsa Marriott. Specal guest was Colonel James E. Swett USMCR Ret. a Medal of Honor recipient of WWII. Col Swett is a man that is full of stories and a few jokes. He gave a great speach in the brisk wind today and inspired a many of a Marine as other also.
Col Swett in early 1942 he completed flight training and finished in the top ten percent of his class. He was given the option to choose between a commision in the Marine Corps or the Navy, and he chose the Marines. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant at NAS Corpus Christi, Texas on April 1, 1942. He finally recived his wigs in San Diego after he had trained in Quantico and then Lake Michigan and was carrier qualified aboard the USS Wolverine. In December 1942, he shipped out to the Southwest Pacific and when he arrived at Guadalcanal and was assigned to VMF-22, which was part of Marine Air Group 12.
On April 7, 1943, on his first combat mission, Swett both became and Ace and awarded the Metal Of Honor. His first mission was as a division leader on a combat air patrol over the Russell Islands early on the morning of April 7 in expectation of a large Japanese air attack. Landing to refule, the four plane division of F$F Wildcats he was leading was scrambled after other aircraft reported 150 planes approaching Ironbottom Sound and intercepted a large formation of Japanese Aircraft D3A dive bombers attackingTulagi Harbor.
When the fight became a general melee, Swett pursued three Vals diving on the harbor. After shooting down two and while taken under fire from the rear gunner of the third, the left wing of his F4F was holed by U.S. antiaircraft fire directed at the Japanese. Despite this he shot down the third Val and turned toward a second formation of six Vals leaving the area. Swett repeatly attacked the line of dive bombers, dowing each in turn with short bursts. He brought down four and was attacking a fifth when his ammunition was depleted and he had his cockpit shot up by return fire. Wounded, he decided to ditch his damaged fighter off Florida Island. Though initally trapped in his cockpit, Swett extricated himself and was subsequently rescued in Tulagi Harbor after crash-landing his Wildcat. This feat made the 22-year old Marine aviator an Ace on his first combat mission.:iwo: