Lt. Col. F. J. Swift, Jr.

SWIFT

Posted By: Ken Wright (email)
Date: 11/17/2009 at 15:31:42

Jackson Sentinel
January 14, 1946

Army Promotion for Dr. Swift
Completing Five Years of War Service

Dr. F. J. Swift, jr., received his promotion to the grade of lieutenant colonel in the Army Medical corps effective as of December 30, 1945.

Lt. Col. Swift is on terminal leave after over five years service in the Army. He has served with many famous units including the 32nd division and the 82nd Airborne division. While in the 82nd Airborne, he was regimental surgeon of the 504th Parachute Infantry regiment and remained with them until he sustained a fractured ankle on his sixth parachute jump. Following this he spent considerable time as the assistant surgeon, Airborne command.

Since May, 1943, he has been assigned to the surgical section of the 35th Evacuation hospital and has been in the European theatre of operations from Feb. 12, 1944, to Sept. 19, 1945. He participated in the following campaigns: Normandy, Northern France, Ardennes Rhineland, and Central Europe.

His unit landed in Normandy with the First Army and then joined the Third Army to remain under the command of Lt. Gen Patton during and following the break through at St. Lo. The 35th had over 28,000 admissions and more than setups across France, Luxembourg, and Germany. It has been cited by both the First and Third Army commanders and possess the Meritorious Service plaque.

Dr. Swift graduated from the College of Medicine, State University of Iowa in 1939, belonging to both Phi Beta Kappa and scholastic fraternities in liberal arts and medicine. He had completed an 18 month internship at Augustana hospital, Chicago, before entering the service.