
Down From Heaven - The 11th Airborne Division in World War II & Beyond
General Joseph Swing, the Father of the 11th Airborne Division - Part 1
September 21, 202353 min · 8,867 words
Show notes
In this episode, show host and 11th Airborne Division historian Jeremy C. Holm delves into the life of Major General Joseph May Swing, the Father of the 11th Airborne Division. Known as "Jumping Joe" to his men, General Swing is a legend in America's airborne history and this episode will cover the first half of his military service, including his experiences in Mexico during the Punitive Expedition against Pancho Villa and in France during…
Highlighted moments
the class the stars fell upon, um, because it produced more general officers than any other class in history, uh, of the academy. Um, of the 164 graduates, 59 attained the rank of general, including our beloved Joseph may swing
“Swing and the field artillery school instructors were also working to replace their horse and mule teams with motorized vehicles to better move their guns around the battlefield.”
“He called Major Swing to his office and he said, Joe, you can go down there, but if you don't beat them and you come back here to Washington, you can find another place to be stationed.”
“What a lot of airborne enthusiasts and even historians don't know is that the airborne as we know it today only exists because of General Joseph May Swing”
Transcript
Transcript not available for this episode yet.
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