BIG SPRING, TX – On Saturday morning over 100 participants with the Southern Route of the 34th annual Run for the Wall motorcycle ride made a stop at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Big Spring. A short ceremony was held at the memorial to remember those who served and never returned. One of which was Col. Smith Swords III USAF Command Pilot. In fact, one of the streets that cross in front of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial is Swords Dr., named after Colonel Swords, who was also an instructor pilot at Webb Air Force Base in 1964 until he volunteered for Vietnam.
According to his daughters Lynda Sax and Luanne “Podi” Stofel, he is still unaccounted for. Every year they return to Washington D.C. for the annual meeting to see if there has been any progress with DNA testing. They say there’s still hope that there will eventually be information about him.
Colonel Swords was an Eagle Scout and loved the military. He was a test pilot, fighter pilot, and bomber pilot. As a captain, he became a senior command pilot and was the youngest officer to ever achieve this. Through many years of training, Swords developed clearance with 47 planes.
During the Run For The Wall memorial ceremony, Sax spoke about her father, stating that he volunteered for Vietnam because his only son was 17 years old. Swords planned to go to Vietnam to end the war, and if he didn’t return then his son would be the sole surviving son.
The daughters told KBest News that it was great to be able to speak about their father during the ceremony and to be able to thank the riders for not forgetting about Colonel Smith Swords III and the others who did not return home.
In addition to Swords Dr. the plane at the Vietnam Veteran Memorial had also been flown by Swords. His call sign was “Flamingo 2”. The daughters told KBest News that “Col. Smith Swords III” had been very easy to read underneath the pilot window, but over the years the name has been faded by the sun and erased by the wind. They hope that someday their father’s name will be restored to the aircraft. Together Stofel and Sax donated $4,000 to the Big Spring Vietnam Memorial to help kickoff the funding needed for the restoration project.
Brief bio as written by Colonel Smith Swords family:
Col Smith Swords III USAF Command Pilot – 1967 MIA; PFOD (presumptive finding of death) KIA 1979. California Native, education: Glendale, Lancaster, Cal Poly CA 1936-49; U of Omaha, NE 1966. Swords joined USAF as Aviation Cadet, Goodfellow AFB, TX Jan 10, 1950 class 51A, Training Command. 1950 Married Mary Sawyer Pearson in San Angelo, TX; graduated from cadets as 2 nd Lt in Feb 10, 1951. He graduated Test Pilot School Edwards AFB ‘56, transferred to Wright Patterson AFB – Air Research.
A motorcycle enthusiast, he organized a motorcycle mountain rescue squad for downed pilots in Japan. It was written-up in motorcycle magazines in the USA. In ’67 his last plane was an F-4, flying out of Danang AFB Vietnam. Swords wrote to the family of being awarded a USAF DFC (Distinguished Flying Cross), saving nearly 100 marines. Over the years he checked out in 47 different civilian and military planes. Of all the medals he was awarded, he was most proud of the DFC, his command pilot wings, 7000 flying hours, and his Flying Safety Award. Last ER (effectiveness report): “Major Swords was killed on a particularly dangerous mission in Southern Laos”. We were told he was MIA.
The Swords III’s children (Smith IV, Lynda Sax, Podi Stofel) had 10 children, producing 6 great grandchildren for the Swords’. We are proud of Col Smith Swords III, USA Hero. We wish for identification.
PHOTO: Lynda Sax (left) with sister Luanne “Podi” Stofel (right) standing in front of the F-4 plane flown by their dad Colonel Smith Swords III
Colonel Smith Swords III (right) with his wife Mary Sawyer Pearson (left).
PHOTO: Swords Dr. is named after Colonel Smith Swords III. It’s one of the streets that run in front of the Big Spring Vietnam Veteran Memorial.
PHOTO: Numerous rides with the Southern Route of Run For The Wall park in front of the Swords Dr. sign, 05/18/24.
PHOTO: Big Spring Vietnam Veteran Memorial with wreath from the RFTW Honor Guard.
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