Legionnaires honor 90-year-old WWII veteran

Townsend, MT

American Legion members in Montana visited and honored World War II veteran Edward Swetish, who turned 90 years old on May 23.

Eight Legion members traveled to Helena to honor Swetish. Family members and neighbors wanted to do something nice for him so they planned a surprise visit from our post.

Swetish was presented with a certificate of appreciation along with a flag that was once flown over the Capitol in Washington, D.C. How handy that he already had a flag pole!

Swetish served in the Army and had been drafted in April 1943. At that time, he had just graduated in 1942 and was going to school in Spokane. He received a Purple Heart.

He is one of 10 children and lived in Dillon and now is the only one of his siblings still alive. He never married. Present at the party were nieces and nephews who traveled from as far away as New York and California.

After he was discharged, he became an American Legion member. He was visiting a brother in Texas when he saw a troop train and it brought back memories of his time in service. He then upped again and was in London with the Air Force and assisted in the Berlin airlift.

Neighbors and friends described him as a “true blue American.” He worked for many years with the Red Cross and traveled worldwide before he retired. He loves to work in the garden. In the winter to keep busy and warm inside, he writes. He has written two books: Dawn to Dusk and Memories of WWII.

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