Mission Over Baghdad Will Be Remembered
By Stacey Creasy
Pilot News
LAKEVILLE � Marian Swan has confirmed her son dropped the bombs that may have eradicated Saddam Hus-sein.
Marian is the mother of Lt. Colonel George �Fred� Swan. His unit at the Fort Ellsworth Air Force base in Rapid City, S. D. was deployed to Kuwait.
In recent weeks, Fred has been flying a B-1 Bomber over Iraq. During this latest mission, Swan and his crew were already in the air over Baghdad when they received orders to head for a specific target.
When they reached the target, Swan was told this is a high-priority mission. He was instructed to launch four, 2,000-pound bunker-buster bombs on the site.
Moments later, there was nothing left but a massive crater.
The bunker-buster bombs penetrate walls � even concrete ones � before detonating. They are designed for the type of deep bunkers Hussein, his family and cabinet have been known to use for safety.
This time, there may not have been any place to hide.
Swan knew when he received the high-priority or-ders that Hussein, his family or some high-ranking member of the regime must have been at the site.
It will take days to dig through the rubble and, even then, it may never be known exactly who was killed.
The thought of Swan being one of the men who could have brought Hussein down has been the talk of the town in the Lakeville area.
Swan is a 1975 LaVille High School graduate. He graduated from Purdue University four years later and then enlisted in the Air Force. For the past decade, Swan has been assigned to B-1 bombers.
�He was assigned to the B-1 as soon as it came out,� Marian said. �He has been with the B-1 ever since.�
Operation Iraqi Freedom is Swan�s first combat mission. He was not involved in either Bosnia or Afghanistan.
Swan has been busy while in Kuwait due to all the bombing missions in Iraq in the past weeks. The bombing missions have played a key role in paving the way for the coalition to sweep into the cities.
If Swan were here, his mother said the Lt. Colonel would not enjoy all the fanfare. Swan has been assigned to the B-1. The bombing missions are his duty, plain and simple.
Swan�s father, George Swan Sr. fought in World War II. He fought at the Battle of the Bulge. Swan also had a brother that was in the Navy, but Swan is the only one who made a career of the military.
Marian is hoping the war will move ahead as scheduled and the tough fighting will be over soon.
�He (Fred) can retire in June,� Marian stated. �All that has been frozen for now but maybe he will still be able to retire when the time comes.�
When he retires Swan and his family will likely settle down in the Rapid City area because they have three children in school there.
Historians will tell the story. Swan may well be recorded as a hero from this war, one of the key players who brought down Hussein and helped bring an end to the war.
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