On his very first combat mission, a 22-year-old Marine fighter pilot named James E. Swett flew into a massive Japanese air raid over the Solomon Islands and came back a legend. In a single flight on April 7, 1943, he was credited with shooting down seven enemy bombers before his own damaged plane went into the sea. First Lieutenant Swett survived, received the Medal of Honor, and kept flying for the rest of the war. His story is a reminder that the Marine Corps fights in the air as well as on the ground, and that its aviators carry the same spirit as its riflemen.
Quick Facts
- Name: James Elms Swett
- Born: June 15, 1920, in Seattle, Washington
- Rank at time of action: First Lieutenant, U.S. Marine Corps Reserve
- Unit: Division leader, Marine Fighting Squadron 221 (VMF-221), Marine Aircraft Group 12
- Date of action: April 7, 1943
- Place: Over the Solomon Islands near Guadalcanal and Tulagi
- Aircraft: F4F Wildcat fighter
- Credited that day: Seven Japanese bombers
- Posthumous: No
- Career total: 15.5 aerial victories
Becoming a Marine Aviator
James Swett grew up in California and caught the flying bug early. While attending college in San Mateo, he earned a private pilot’s license. In August 1941, a few months before the attack on Pearl Harbor, he enlisted in the Naval Reserve to train as a military pilot. He finished flight training in early 1942, placing near the top of his class, and in April 1942 he was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps Reserve.
By the spring of 1943 he was a first lieutenant flying with Marine Fighting Squadron 221 at Guadalcanal. The American victory on Guadalcanal was still fresh, and Japanese aircraft continued to attack Allied ships and bases in the area.
The Air Battle of April 7, 1943
On April 7, 1943, Japan launched one of its largest air raids of the campaign, sending a wave of roughly 150 aircraft toward Allied shipping around Guadalcanal and Tulagi. American fighters scrambled to meet them. Swett, leading a division of four Wildcats on what was his first combat mission, spotted a formation of 15 Japanese dive bombers and led his pilots straight into it.
In his opening dive, according to his citation, he “personally exploded three hostile planes in midair.” Pulling through heavy antiaircraft fire from the ships below, he became separated from the rest of his division. Instead of turning back, he went after a group of six more bombers on his own. He attacked them one after another and shot down four of them.
He was closing on yet another bomber when he ran out of ammunition. By then his fighter had taken serious damage. Return fire had partly knocked out his engine, shattered his windscreen, and cut his face. With his plane failing, Swett brought it down in the water off Tulagi. He escaped the sinking cockpit and was pulled from the water and rescued.
An “Ace in a Day”
A pilot who shoots down five enemy aircraft is called an ace. Swett reached that mark, and went beyond it, in about 15 minutes on his first time in combat. Pilots who accomplish this in a single day are often called an “ace in a day,” and doing it on a first combat mission made his achievement even more striking.
For his actions that day, First Lieutenant Swett was awarded the Medal of Honor. Unlike many recipients, he lived to receive it, and he went right back to flying.
The Rest of His Service
Swett continued to fly combat missions in the Pacific. His squadron later transitioned to the F4U Corsair and flew from the aircraft carrier USS Bunker Hill, supporting operations around Iwo Jima and Okinawa in 1945. By the end of the war he had flown 103 combat missions and was credited with 15.5 aerial victories.
After leaving active duty, he remained in the Marine Corps Reserve and retired as a colonel in 1970. James Swett died on January 18, 2009, in Redding, California, at the age of 88.
What His Story Means for Marine Families
Many families picture Marines only as infantry, but the Corps has its own aviation community, and every Marine aviator, mechanic, and air traffic controller starts out at the same boot camp as every rifleman. Recruits learn early that every Marine is part of one team, whether they end up in a cockpit, a maintenance hangar, or a fighting hole. Swett’s story is a good example of that idea.
During recruit training, Marine Corps history classes and drill instructors introduce recruits to Medal of Honor recipients from every era. These stories are not told to make recruits feel they must be superhuman. They are told to show what courage, training, and commitment can accomplish under pressure.
For parents, there is also comfort in the fact that Swett’s skill came from preparation. He trained hard, finished near the top of his flight class, and was ready when the moment came. The long training pipeline your Marine goes through, from boot camp to job school and beyond, exists for the same reason: so that when it matters, they are ready.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did James Swett receive the Medal of Honor?
He received it for his actions on April 7, 1943, when he led a four-plane division against a large Japanese air raid near Guadalcanal and Tulagi. He was credited with shooting down seven enemy bombers in one flight before ditching his damaged fighter in the water.
What was James Swett’s rank when he earned the Medal of Honor?
He was a first lieutenant in the Marine Corps Reserve, serving as a division leader with Marine Fighting Squadron 221. He later rose to the rank of colonel before retiring in 1970.
Was April 7, 1943, his first combat mission?
Yes. The action that earned him the Medal of Honor came on his first combat mission, which is part of what makes his story so remarkable.
Do Marine aviators go through boot camp?
Enlisted Marines in aviation jobs go through recruit training like every other enlisted Marine. Officers, including pilots, attend officer training instead. Either way, every Marine is trained first as a Marine before learning a specialty.