Haverhill

Veteran recalls putting life on the line in World War II

Veteran recalls putting life on the line in World War II

By Paul Tennant
ptennant@eagletribune.com
Published: November 9, 2009

HAVERHILL — More than 60 years ago, Irving Swett thought his life was over.

He was driving an Army supply truck next to a bombed-out factory in Europe during World War II, when the building collapsed.

"I stopped and held my breath, expecting to be crushed,'' he recalled. "After the wall collapsed and the dust cleared, I was able to proceed on my way unscathed."

Another time, he was driving one of several Army trucks traveling in a group, when Germans began firing on them. The truck in front of him took a direct hit and burst into flames. The sound of machine gun fire and bombs exploding was an everyday occurrence and he saw many dead bodies lying by the side of the road as he drove supplies, including gasoline and explosives, to the front lines.

"Whenever I had a close call in the Army, I always thought that God was watching over me, for which I am thankful," Swett said, reflecting on his experiences as Veterans Day approaches.

Like many World War II veterans, Swett, 95, who lived in Kingston, N.H., until last year when he moved into Penacook Place nursing home in Haverhill, did not talk much over the years about his war experiences. Recently, however, he told his niece, Julie Schena of Haverhill, about what he lived through as a young soldier. She was telling him stories about her two son's experiences in the military, when he suddenly began talking about his own Army experiences — everything from his boot camp training in the South to nearly being killed in Europe.

Schena found the stories fascinating.

"He told me he had never told anyone,'' she said. "He wanted to tell his story," so she wrote it down.

Swett was brought up on a farm in Kingston. Having to get up by 6 a.m. to start farm chores probably helped prepare him for life in the Army, he said.

In 2001, the Swett Farm was sold to the local school district and the new Sanborn Regional High School, serving Kingston and Newton, was built on the land where generations of the Swett family raised potatoes, corn, string beans and other vegetables for more than a century.

Swett was 28 when he was drafted. He began serving in the Army on Nov. 4, 1942, training at Camp Barkeley in Texas, Camp Polk in Louisiana and Camp Hale in Colorado before shipping out to Europe.

While he was stationed in Louisiana, he said, he slept on top of his truck because "I didn't want to take a chance on being bitten by the fist-size scorpions or centipedes or snakes in the swamp nearby."

Swett went overseas in September 1944 and served 16 months. His duties included driving 2-ton trucks over pontoon bridges that spanned the Rhine River.

"We would go quite slowly over the pontoon bridge as it swayed back and fourth. It had no sides," he said. "We traveled mostly at night and had very small lights on the front of our trucks to light the way. Once we were carrying some heavy coiled rope on the back of our truck when we noticed it was on fire. I got out and put the fire out and then we went on our way. We saw a plane come down in flames and crash somewhere near."

Sometimes, after completing a supply run, Swett and other drivers would bring German prisoners of war to prison camps.

"We would be in the cab with our weapons and they would be in the back with no guard. ... They never tried to escape," Swett said.

After the war, Swett and millions of other Americans returned to the United States by ship.

"We came into New York Harbor and I remember how overwhelmed I felt to see the Statue of Liberty,'' said Swett, who is known at Penacook Place as "Mr. Sweet'' because he is always smiling.

"After everyone got off the ship, they were taken to board a steam train which took three days to reach Haverhill,'' he said. "I felt pretty dirty after three days aboard that train. It was evening when I arrived in Haverhill and was met by my older brother Wilbert and my mother. It was great to be back home."

Swett earned the Good Conduct Medal, the Victory Medal, the American Theater Campaign Ribbon and the European, African, Middle East Campaign Ribbon with two battle stars.

When asked if he would go to war if he had it to do all over again, Swett said simply, "No, I don't think so."

After his return to this area, he worked at Christie's Poultry Farm, then Lagasse's Furniture Store and Amesbury Furniture before he retired. Blessed with an excellent mechanical aptitude, he kept the generator and the tractors running while working at Christie's Farm.

Operating an Army supply truck under such dangerous conditions must have made him a very good driver because he did not give up driving a car until last year.

"They said I was a good driver," he said of his Army buddies.

Three of Swett's brothers — Wilbert, Franklin and Wallace — served in the Army, too. Franklin lives in Derry, N.H., while the other two brother are dead.

Wallace Swett, who served in Gen. George Patton's 3ird Army, bore a scar from a bullet that hit him near the eye.

Asked if there are any secrets to living a long life that included wartime service, Swett said he doesn't have any but he did mention, "I've always hated liquor."

He does not have any children. His longtime companion, Helen West, died last year.