On March 26, 2013, Patricia Overman, whose father flew the Rhine Crossing and who is a Wing Commander with this Association, went to interview Maj. Robert Swenson in his home in Bellevue Washington. The interview had to do with the Varsity Operation and Bob's involvement in the 435th Provisional Glider Pilots Infantry Company and the battle they were involved in during the night of 24 March 1945. What was to be a routine interview turned out to be the discovery that Bob Swenson had never received his Bronze Star Medal and, in fact, knew nothing about the request his Commanding Officer, then Captain Charles Gordon, had made. Capt. Gordon requested that the Bronze Star Medal be given to his men for their involvement in a battle...

Bob Swenson flew as Glider Pilot, with the rank of Flight Officer, on the Varsity operation. He was to land on LZ-S together with the other gliders of his unit. He flew with the 435th Troop Carrier Group. The Glider Pilots of the four Squadrons of the 435th TCG would turn into infantry men when they got out of the glider. Their Commanding Officer, Capt. Charles Gordon, had volunteered his group to support the 194th Glider Infantry Regiment as extra menpower. Their task was to set up roadblocks to protect the rear of the 194th GIR.

At night, German forces tried to escape the pocket between the Rhine River and the Airborne foces by attacking, in three different sections of the roadblock manned by the Provisional 435th Glider Pilot Company. The attack each time was repulsed. None of the Glider Pilots were wounded or killed during the night attack. The Germans suffered some losses and pulled back. The Glider Pilots left the area the next evening, headed back over the Rhine and back to their airfields in France.

In the April, 1944, edition of the Stars and Stripes, this battle was dubed "Battle of Burp Gun Corner. Capt. Gordon received the Silver Star and he submitted the Bronze Star Medal to be awarded to all the member of his Provisional 435th Glider Pilot Company. The war ended two months after the battle and everyone went home. It was discovered two years later, by Major Gordon, that the paper work had been lost and none of the glider pilots had received their award. He put the his Silver Star Medal in a draw and vowed that he would not take it out until all the men were found and awared the BSM. The men were now scattered and most were no longer in the service.

The paperwork was re-submitted and in the 1990s the Air Force granted the BSM to the Provisional 435th Glider Pilot Company. With the aid of a detective Charles Gordan made a push to find the men. A lot of the men were found, but not all. Bob Swenson was one of those who slipped through the system and did not get his Bronze Star. When this was discovered, Patricia called the National Secretary to verify the record and than called the Curator, Dr. Don Abbe, of the Silent Wings Museum (SWM) where the medals which had not been awarded were located. Don confirmed that Mr. Swenson‘s medal was indeed waiting to be picked up along with the citation. Patricia then contacted Joint Base Lewis McChord to request that the medal be presented. The request was picked up by the staff of Major General Kenneth Dahl, Deputy Commanding General I Corps.

It just happened that a WWII Airborne organization was holding their conference in the Seattle area and they had invited Troop Carrier veterans to attend. Bob was asked to give a presentation on this unique company and the battle with the Germans that made it so famous. Since Bob would be giving a presentation at the Trigger Time convention on August 10th, Patricia, on behalf of the National WWII Glider Pilots Association, asked I Corps to have the military medal presentation at the conference, which they gratiously agreed. So at the age of 90 Major Bob Swenson received his much deserved Bronze Star Medal.

Congressman Smith, the Ranking officer on the House Armed Services Committee, recognized Major Swenson and his fellow glider pilots on the House floor, lauding the successful efforts made by the 435th Provisional Glide Pilot Combat Team.

Other Links regarding the event: Seattle Times Article

Further information see:

• Press Release by this Association
• Trigger Time Event Report