Joseph Oscar Swafford
Military
416th BG - 670th BS - 9th AF
L to R: Joseph Swafford (G), Paul Atkinson (P), P.F. Glynn (G)
Object Number - UPL 47855 - A-20G-30-DO #43-9689 "Boomerang" Code: F6-I 416th BG - 670th BS - 9th AF L to R: Joseph Swafford (G), Paul Atkinson (P), P.F. Glynn (G)
Connections
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Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Ninth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Ninth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: A-20 Havoc
- Nicknames: Boomerang
- Unit: 416th Bomb Group 670th Bomb Squadron
Places
- Site type: Airfield
- Known as: Melun, Alsace
- Site type: Airfield
Events
| Event | Location | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Born |
Richmond, Missouri | 15 June 1925 | |
|
Enlisted |
Fort Leavenworth, Kansas | 24 October 1942 | |
|
Other Wounded In Action |
Normandy, France | 6 June 1944 | |
|
Died |
Platte City, Missouri | 20 June 2017 | Joseph O. Swafford, 92, of Platte City, MO passed away Tuesday, June 20, 2017. He was born on June 15, 1925 to Oscar and Hazel (Graham) Swafford in Richmond, MO where he resided and attended school until he entered the CCC’s work force. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor in December 1941 at the age of 17, he enlisted in the US Army Air Corps in 1942. He was a gunner, stationed in England and he flew 65 missions, four were on D-Day, June 6, 1944 with the 416th Bomber Group. He earned 2 Bronze Stars, the Purple Heart and the Air Medal with 12 Oak Leaf Clusters. Joseph entered the now Air Force after the war and retired in 1968. After various civilian positions, he retired in 1983 in Branson, MO where he pursued his love of fishing. He and his wife of 34 years, Geri, moved to the Platte City, MO area in 1999. |
| Richmond, Missouri | Worked as a truck driver |