Born ‎1 Mar 1917 Carpio, Ward County, North Dakota, died ‎26 Mar 1944 Italy Event Description: Ft. Snelling National Cemetery, Minneapolis‎, age 27 years, buried Minneapolis, Hennepin County, Minnesota
CAPT, 17 AAF AIR DEPOT GRP WORLD WAR II.

While serving as Pilot of B-17F 41-24362 he ditched the aircraft in the English Channel one mile off of Margate 9 October 1942 on return from Lille, France. Returned to base. First successful ditching of a B-17 in the ETO.


St. Cloud Times, 1 May 1944, Monday, page 2
Parents Learn Veteran Pilot Dies in Crash
Carpio, N.D. (AP) - Captain Donald Swenson, 27, of Carpio, veteran pilot of the army air forces and holder of the air medal and two oak leaf clusters, was killed in a plane crash in Italy March 24, the war department advised his parents, Mr. and Mrs. G. A. Swenson, Friday.
Captain Swenson's first combat action was in a Flying Fortress over France in the fall of 1942.
Captain Swenson was one of three brothers serving as air force pilots overseas. Lieut. George A. Swenson has been listed as missing since last September, following aerial action in the Mediterranean area, and Lieut. Gordon W. Swenson, now in England, recently was awarded the soldier's medal for heroism.



The Minneapolis Star, Thursday, July 8, 1948
236 of Area War Dead Returned from Italy
Bodies of 236 Upper Midwest war dead have been returned to the United States from Italy aboard the army transport Carroll Victory, the army announced today.
They are among the 4,842 World War II dead originally buried in temporary military cemeteries in Nettuno and other points in Italy
The names of the dead and next of kin follow:

Capt. Donald A. Swenson, air force, Gustav A. Swenson, Carpio

Born ‎1 Apr 1918 North Dakota, died ‎1 Oct 1984 Shelton, Mason County, Washington‎, age 66 years