Billy Bert Swift
1925-2004
Photo shared by Vickie Graves Jones
from Fighting Men of Arkansas
Billy Bert Smith was born November 12, 1925 at Greenwood, Sebastian Co., Ar. to
Ernest Vernon & Mary Bertha Gann Swift. May 8, 1947 he married
Paula Wadsworth Hunter at Fort Smith, Sebastian Co., Ar. as both were residents there.
Billy registered for the military draft November 12, 1943 at Van Buren, Crawford
Co., Ar. He was still in high school at that time. February 7, 1944 he enlisted
in the Air Force. He served until December 7, 1945. He again enlisted
October 17, 1950 and served until September 8, 1951. More information about his
service is in his obituary below.
Billy Bert Swift passed away April 28, 2002 in San Antioni, Texas. His burial was
in the National Cemetery at Fort Smith, Sebastian Co., Ar.
Biography shared by Vickie Graves Jones
from Fighting Men of Arkansas
Billy B. Swift died of cancer on April 28, 2004, in San Antonio, Texas, at
the age of 78. A quiet, gentle and honorable man respected by his peers and
loved by his family and friends. He was born in Greenwood, Ark., on Nov. 12,
1925, to the late Earnest V. Swift and Mary Bert (Gann) Swift. A wordsmith,
Billy worked as a reporter on the staff of the Fort Smith Times; the Arkansas
Democrat, Little Rock, Ark.; and The Commercial Appeal, Memphis, Tenn. In
addition, he served as a reporter for the then Memphis State University,
an advertising writer for Ward Archer and as the Public Relations director
of State Tech University in Memphis. He is a decorated WWII veteran where
he flew 26 missions over Europe as a B17 ball-turret gunner and also served
his country in the military during the Korean War. He retired in Cherokee, Ala.
His brothers Clifford and Warren G. Swift preceded him in death. He is survived
by his wife of 57 years, Paula Wadsworth Hunter Swift; sister, Gaylia Dalton of
Fayetteville,; daughter, Cyndi and husband, Francois Lacroix of San Antonio,
Texas; son, James Swift of Cherokee, Ala.; grandchildren, Shawn Kelly of Memphis
Tenn., Heather Ament (Jeremy) of Butler, Pa., Christiana Lacroix of Orlando,
Fla., and John Lacroix (Janna) of Georgetown, S. C.; and great-grandchildren,
Logan and Natalie Cahall and Ethan and Nathaniel Lacroix; sister-in-law Betty
Swift; nieces, Sandy Linimon and Sherri Walton of Fort Smith and Su Sedgeman
of Grandview, Texas.
Interment services with full military honors will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday,
June 25, 2004, at the Fort Smith National Cemetery.
br>
June 16, 2004
Commercial Appeal
Memphis, Tennessee
|
|
|
|
