Ray J Swanson

About Ray Swanson...

World War II fighter pilot on aircraft carrier USS San Jacinto, Fighting Squadron VF-51, flying the F6F Hellcat from January through December 1944. Logged 300 hours of combat air strikes on Wake Island, Saipan, Guam, Tinian, Palau, Bonin Islands, Yap, Philippine Islands, Formosa, and Okinawa. Credited for destruction of 4 ½ enemy aircraft. Served with torpedo pilot George Herbert Walker Bush in Air Group 51. Fighter pilot nickname was "Swanee". Awarded several air medals. After WWII served on several aircraft carriers including USS Kearsarge, USS Wright, USS Saipan, and USS Princeton in 1958. Flew many aircraft including Corsair, Cutlass, Constellation C-131, C-130. Served and resided in Oakland, California; Livermore, California; Oxnard, California; Panama; Dallas, Texas; Monterey, California; Quonset Point, Rhode Island, Virginia Beach, Virginia; Pensacola, Florida; Long Beach, California; China Lake, California. In 1963 and 1964 flew C-131 Constellation with Airborne Early Warning Squadron Pacific at Barbers Point Oahu, Hawaii. In 1965 and 1966 served at Moffett Field Naval Air Station in Air Transport Seven flying C-130 missions to Vietnam. In 1967 and 1968 served as Naval Air Operations Officer at Alameda Naval Air Station, California. Retired as a Commander of the United States Navy in 1968 after serving 28 years. Deceased in 2003.