Grover W. Swank

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Grover was the first of his family to move from NE to CA. He persuaded his mother Pearl, his sister Sally, and Gladyce Jungren to drive out from NE to CA with his car. They stayed with his Uncle Leon Aunspaugh and his Aunt Olive when they first moved out. Grover was in California working for Lockheed Aircraft company, beginning in 1941. He served in the army during WWII from June 2, 1944 until May 13, 1946. He must have then returned to work at Lockheed. During a strike, he returned to Nebraska and reunited with Minnie (Buss) who was living in Gothenburg, NE. They got married in Kansas "on the spur of the moment" Grover's sister Sally says. I've heard my folks joke that they wouldn't have been together if Lockheed employees hadn't gone out on strike. They were married in Kansas on Jan. 6, 1947. He retired from Lockheed when he turned 65 in 1979 and was simultaneously diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma, succumbing after a 2 year battle.

Army stats: 475th Antiaircraft Artillery Automatic Weapons Battalion, Technician 5th grade. Military qualification: MARKSMAN MI RIFLE. Decorations and citations: Good Conduct Medal, Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal, WWII Victory Medal, Philippines Liberation Ribbon. Battles and Campaigns: NEW GUINEA GO 40 WD 45. Continental Service: 6 months, 6 days. Foreign service: 1 year, 5 months, 6 days.

Linda (Swank) Warren, his daughter.