Vietnam Medal of Honor Recipient. Captain Jon Edward Swanson served as a Captain, United States Army, B Troop, 1st Battalion, 9th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division. He was awarded his medal posthumously for service at Kampong Cham Province, Cambodia, on February 26, 1971. His citation reads: "Captain Jon E. Swanson distinguished himself by acts of bravery on February 26, 1971, while flying an OH-6A aircraft in support of ARVN Task Force 333 in the Kingdom of Cambodia. With two well-equipped enemy regiments known to be in the area, Captain Swanson was tasked with pinpointing the enemy's precise positions. Captain Swanson flew at treetop level at a slow airspeed, making his aircraft a vulnerable target. The advancing ARVN unit came under heavy automatic weapons fire from enemy bunkers 100 meters to their front. Exposing his aircraft to enemy anti-aircraft fire, Captain Swanson immediately engaged the enemy bunkers with concussion grenades and machine gun fire. After destroying five bunkers and evading intense ground-to-air fire, he observed a .51 caliber machine gun position. With all his heavy ordnance expended on the bunkers, he did not have sufficient explosives to destroy the position. Consequently, he marked the position with a smoke grenade and directed a Cobra gun ship attack. After completion of the attack, Captain Swanson found the weapon still intact and an enemy soldier crawling over to man it. He immediately engaged the individual and killed him. During this time, his aircraft sustained several hits from another .51 caliber machine gun. Captain Swanson engaged the position with his aircraft's weapons, marked the target, and directed a second Cobra gun ship attack. He volunteered to continue the mission, despite the fact that he was now critically low on ammunition and his aircraft was crippled by enemy fire. As Captain Swanson attempted to fly toward another .51 caliber machine gun position, his aircraft exploded in the air and crashed to the ground, causing his death. Captain Swanson's courageous actions resulted in at least eight enemy killed and the destruction of three enemy anti-aircraft weapons. Captain Swanson's extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army." Captain Swanson's remains were recovered on September 21, 1995 and identified on February 7, 2002. With the families' permission, there was a joint interment of Captain Swanson with his combat colleague, SSG Larry Harrison, who died the during the same action in 1971. Since the commingled condition of the bodies, separate burials would not be possible. This is the first time a Medal of Honor recipient, which Captain Swanson was posthumously awarded by President George W. Bush, has been jointly buried with a non-family member at Arlington National Cemetery. His name is permanently inscribed on the Vietnam Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial. He is honored on the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial in Washington DC; VVM Wall, Panel 4w, Line 7.