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Peter Fray Swanson died in Round Rock Texas on August 22, 2023.
He was born August 21, 1934 in Jamestown New York as a second generation Swedish American.
He was surrounded by an extended family of like emigrants. After World War II, he watched his older brother Fred leave as a Marine and in 1952 he himself joined the Air Force. He initially trained as a B-29 mechanic and gunner at Lowry AFB Colorado with orders for the Korean Conflict, but as that ended before he got there, he was sent for further training as an aircraft mechanic at Sheppard AFB in Wichita Falls Texas and then as a jet engine mechanic in Amarillo. While there, he was selected as an officer candidate and was given the opportunity for flight training. He was assigned to pilot training, first at Maldin AFB in Missouri and then jet fighter training at Williams AFB in Phoenix. While there, in between flights, he met a young nurse, Hildegard ("Hildy") Tepper who had been recruited from Canada to work in a local hospital. They secretly got married in June 1955 and "officially" got married on graduation day from flight school (when it was now legal as per the Air Force) on August 31, 1955. They went to Parrin AFB Texas for advanced fighter training and then he was assigned to the 85th fighter interceptor group at Scott AFB, Illinois where he was flying the best jet fighter in the world at that time, the F86D. While at Scott, his first son, Gregory Peter was born. With the worsening of the cold war, he was quickly transferred to Elmendorf AFB in the territory of Alaska to fly F89 Scorpions as the first line of defense against Russian bombers. As that aircraft started to be phased out, he was selected to become a flight instructor and was sent to Webb AFB in Big Spring Texas. While there, his sons Terrance Allan and William Frederick were born. He then transitioned to the RF 101 and was sent to Laon AFB France in 1962 (at the height of the Cold War). He frequently went on temporary duty to Wheelus AFB Libya to practice deployment of nuclear weapons. He was then stationed at Shaw AFB South Carolina where he was a flight instructor and examiner. He did his first tour in Viet Nam, flying out of Udorn Thailand. He flew 51 combat missions, many of them over the Red River up to Hanoi and Haiphong, earning him membership in the Red River Valley Fighter Pilots Association ("River Rats"). After returning from Viet Nam he was sent to George AFB California where he transitioned to the F4 phantom. He was immediately sent back to Viet Nam and flew 124 more missions out of Phu Cat AFB. Overall he was awarded 17 air medals and a distinguished flying cross for his flying gallantry.
On return he was sent to Bergstrom AFB in Austin Texas, working in 12th AF headquarters until his retirement. He then started a successful second career in sales, mostly in the burgeoning telecommunications industry. He and Hildy subsequently moved to Carrollton where they lived for more than 30 years until returning to the Austin area 3 years ago. Initially an avid golfer, his love for the outdoors lured him to spend almost all his spare time at the hunting lease outside Wichita Falls. Occasionally he would be accompanied by one of his sons, but more often by his grandsons Benjamin or Sam. A combination of prostate cancer and strokes led to his gradual, but terminal decline.
He is survived by his wife Hildy, his sons Greg (Jan), Terry (Nancee) and Bill (Terri), his grandchildren Jeremy, G. Paul, Benjamin and Sam Swanson and Kimberlee Swanson Schoppert, with great grandchildren Kieran, June, Emme, and Baker and one sister, Lisa Swanson Hultman. He will always be remembered as a great father and a true patriot.