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thedrifter
11-28-08, 05:36 AM
MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va. — Marines are preparing to enter a building as the machine gunner squints to identify figures approaching from a distance. Suddenly the figures come into focus, and the Marine reacts instinctively to the threat by manning the vehicle-mounted weapon and immediately providing suppressive fire to alert fellow Marines of the impending danger.

Exposing himself to the enemy, Lance Cpl. James E. Swain sacrificed his life to preserve those of fellow Marines, and he will be remembered as the embodiment of the Marine Corps’ core values of honor, courage, and commitment.

Swain is the first to earn the Intelligence Community Medal for Valor, the second highest award within the Intelligence Community for bravery, as indicated by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence Public Affairs Office in Washington, D.C.

The award was presented to his mother and father, Mona and Daniel Swain, During the dedication of the Marine Corps Intelligence Activity annex here, which was named in his honor for his actions during the battle of Fallujah in Iraq, Nov. 15, 2004.

The Swain Annex is located adjacent to Hochmuth Hall, the MCIA headquarters building named in commemoration of Maj. Gen. Bruno Hochmuth who was killed in Vietnam.

‘‘Swain and Maj. Gen. Bruno Hochmuth are now brothers in arms in a silent fraternity,” said Col. Philip Gentile, director of Intelligence Integration Division here.

Swain was born into a military family in Germany and moved at least 10 different times before even celebrating his 20th birthday in Kokomo, Ind.

He graduated from Kokomo High School and joined the United States Marine Corps in December 2002.

Upon graduating from the Navy Marine Corps Intelligence Training Center, he was assigned to the 3rd Marine Division and spent less than a year in Okinawa Japan.

While stationed in Japan, Swain volunteered from an assignment to a unit deploying to Iraq, and was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Division, 1st Marine Regiment.

Swain was primarily an intelligence analyst who worked hard all hours of the day and night and even volunteered to man the M240G medium machine gun to provide security while the Human Intelligence Team and the Marines of Kilo Company explored the hostile surrounding areas there.

‘‘He never failed in his many tasks. He made me look 100 percent good; that was James,” said Maj. Jeffrey McCormack, Swain’s commanding officer during the deployment. ‘‘He identified an armed insurgent and directed fire. He died saving his buddies.”