Helmer Swenholt
Encyclopedia
Helmer Swenholt was born in Wittenberg, Shawano County, Wisconsin
(near Shawano, Wisconsin
). Having pursued a degree in engineering, he put his education to work in the Army Corps of Engineers. He was an officer and Veteran of World War I, and after the war continued his service in the Army Corps of Engineers. In World War II, Swenholt organized one of the first of the Engineer Regiments, a new type of combat engineer organization. At the war's conclusion Swenholt returned to the United States and retired from the Army.
in 1908 in engineering. Swenholt had played basketball at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where he was named to the All Big Ten team. Swenholt, a forward on the basketball team, was elected captain for the 1907-1908 season of the Badger squad. He had tied with a teammate for the honor and the election was decided by a coin toss. He joined the National Guard
.
and was wounded in France
in 1918. Captain Swenholt worked on the railroad from Murmansk with the Bolsheviks. In 1918 he decided to stay in the Regular Army
. He briefly visited his hometown and then left for Morganstown, WV for service at the state university. He was assigned to serve as an ROTC
engineer instructor at West Virginia University
. He would occasionally return to his home in Madison, WI to visit his parents and sister...
where he worked with the Eleventh Engineers for two years. He was assigned in 1932 to Fort Dupont, Delaware, to organize the Civilian Conservation Corps
units to provide housing, food, and medical care in the U.S. National Forest Service in the National Forests in Idaho. There was a brief period in 1932 where the War Department considered retiring Colonel Swenholt (with many other officers) during a time when there was a military downsizing . This did not happen and Swenholt remained in the Army. In 1935 he was ordered back to Dupont, Delaware, and to Oakland, California, where he was assigned to the Topographic Engineers at Fort Stevens, Oregon, to map various areas in three states along the Pacific Coast. In 1937 he mapped Centralia, Washington and Fort Barry, California, for the same company (Company A, 29th U.S. Engineers. This was one of the first times the airplane was used to make ground maps by making photographs and the Army was working in conjunction with the Coast Survey and Geodetic Survey departments to map this part of the country. In September 1938 Swenholt was assigned to command the District Engineer Office, Omaha, Nebraska. One of their assignments was to stabilize the banks of the Mississippi by sinking pilings along the northern edge of Omaha in an effort to change the channel. In early 1941 when the Army foresaw the need to begin armament, Major Swenholt's command was assigned the task of relocating roads, railroads and sewer lines in preparation for building the plant which would make the Martin B-26 Bomber. Bids for building the plant (estimated to be $10M) were solicited February 9, 1941. The plant was known as the Fort Crook Bomber Plant
. Groundbreaking was Monday March 3, 1941 with Major Swenholt turning the first shovelful of dirt. Glenn Martin attended the event. Swenholt was to supervise the construction of the plant.
) at Camp Claibourne, Louisiana, for heavy construction overseas.
His charge to the unit was "To Build - To Conquer". This became the motto of the unit.
Colonel Helmer Swenholt commanded the 332nd Engineer General Service Regiment
until 28 November 1945 when he retired from the Army
.
Colonel Swenholt died 8 May 1952 in Tucson, Pima County, Arizona
.
Shawano County, Wisconsin
Shawano County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2000, the population was 40,664. Its county seat is Shawano.-History:...
(near Shawano, Wisconsin
Shawano, Wisconsin
Shawano is a city in Shawano County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 9,305 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Shawano County...
). Having pursued a degree in engineering, he put his education to work in the Army Corps of Engineers. He was an officer and Veteran of World War I, and after the war continued his service in the Army Corps of Engineers. In World War II, Swenholt organized one of the first of the Engineer Regiments, a new type of combat engineer organization. At the war's conclusion Swenholt returned to the United States and retired from the Army.
Education
He graduated from the University of Wisconsin–MadisonUniversity of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
in 1908 in engineering. Swenholt had played basketball at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where he was named to the All Big Ten team. Swenholt, a forward on the basketball team, was elected captain for the 1907-1908 season of the Badger squad. He had tied with a teammate for the honor and the election was decided by a coin toss. He joined the National Guard
United States National Guard
The National Guard of the United States is a reserve military force composed of state National Guard militia members or units under federally recognized active or inactive armed force service for the United States. Militia members are citizen soldiers, meaning they work part time for the National...
.
World War I
He became a captain in an engineer company in World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and was wounded in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in 1918. Captain Swenholt worked on the railroad from Murmansk with the Bolsheviks. In 1918 he decided to stay in the Regular Army
Regular Army
The Regular Army of the United States was and is the successor to the Continental Army as the country's permanent, professional military establishment. Even in modern times the professional core of the United States Army continues to be called the Regular Army...
. He briefly visited his hometown and then left for Morganstown, WV for service at the state university. He was assigned to serve as an ROTC
Reserve Officers' Training Corps
The Reserve Officers' Training Corps is a college-based, officer commissioning program, predominantly in the United States. It is designed as a college elective that focuses on leadership development, problem solving, strategic planning, and professional ethics.The U.S...
engineer instructor at West Virginia University
West Virginia University
West Virginia University is a public research university in Morgantown, West Virginia, USA. Other campuses include: West Virginia University at Parkersburg in Parkersburg; West Virginia University Institute of Technology in Montgomery; Potomac State College of West Virginia University in Keyser;...
. He would occasionally return to his home in Madison, WI to visit his parents and sister...
Between wars / Corps of Engineers
He was assigned in 1922 to Camp Humphreys, Gary, Indiana, with the engineers in the regular army. He was a Federal instructor with the National Guard unit of Indiana. In one incident his car caught fire but no one was injured. In 1928 he moved to New Orleans where he was assigned to the River and Harbor Engineer District Office. In 1930 he went to PanamaPanama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
where he worked with the Eleventh Engineers for two years. He was assigned in 1932 to Fort Dupont, Delaware, to organize the Civilian Conservation Corps
Civilian Conservation Corps
The Civilian Conservation Corps was a public work relief program that operated from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men from relief families, ages 18–25. A part of the New Deal of President Franklin D...
units to provide housing, food, and medical care in the U.S. National Forest Service in the National Forests in Idaho. There was a brief period in 1932 where the War Department considered retiring Colonel Swenholt (with many other officers) during a time when there was a military downsizing . This did not happen and Swenholt remained in the Army. In 1935 he was ordered back to Dupont, Delaware, and to Oakland, California, where he was assigned to the Topographic Engineers at Fort Stevens, Oregon, to map various areas in three states along the Pacific Coast. In 1937 he mapped Centralia, Washington and Fort Barry, California, for the same company (Company A, 29th U.S. Engineers. This was one of the first times the airplane was used to make ground maps by making photographs and the Army was working in conjunction with the Coast Survey and Geodetic Survey departments to map this part of the country. In September 1938 Swenholt was assigned to command the District Engineer Office, Omaha, Nebraska. One of their assignments was to stabilize the banks of the Mississippi by sinking pilings along the northern edge of Omaha in an effort to change the channel. In early 1941 when the Army foresaw the need to begin armament, Major Swenholt's command was assigned the task of relocating roads, railroads and sewer lines in preparation for building the plant which would make the Martin B-26 Bomber. Bids for building the plant (estimated to be $10M) were solicited February 9, 1941. The plant was known as the Fort Crook Bomber Plant
Offutt Air Force Base
Offutt Air Force Base is a U.S. Air Force installation near Omaha, and lies adjacent to Bellevue in Sarpy County, Nebraska. It is the headquarters of the U.S...
. Groundbreaking was Monday March 3, 1941 with Major Swenholt turning the first shovelful of dirt. Glenn Martin attended the event. Swenholt was to supervise the construction of the plant.
World War II
In May 1942 the colonel was assigned to command and train the 332nd Engineer Special Service Regiment (later reclassified as the 332nd Engineer General Service Regiment332nd Engineer General Service Regiment
332nd Engineer General Service Regiment or 332nd Engineer Regiment was activated as a Special Service Regiment in May 1942, as a unit in the United States Army. Later this unit was redesignated a General Service Regiment. The unit was formed from some regular Army officers and enlisted men, trained...
) at Camp Claibourne, Louisiana, for heavy construction overseas.
His charge to the unit was "To Build - To Conquer". This became the motto of the unit.
Colonel Helmer Swenholt commanded the 332nd Engineer General Service Regiment
332nd Engineer General Service Regiment
332nd Engineer General Service Regiment or 332nd Engineer Regiment was activated as a Special Service Regiment in May 1942, as a unit in the United States Army. Later this unit was redesignated a General Service Regiment. The unit was formed from some regular Army officers and enlisted men, trained...
until 28 November 1945 when he retired from the Army
Army
An army An army An army (from Latin arma "arms, weapons" via Old French armée, "armed" (feminine), in the broadest sense, is the land-based military of a nation or state. It may also include other branches of the military such as the air force via means of aviation corps...
.
Colonel Swenholt died 8 May 1952 in Tucson, Pima County, Arizona
Pima County, Arizona
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*74.3% White*3.5% Black*3.3% Native American*2.6% Asian*0.2% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*3.7% Two or more races*12.4% Other races*34.6% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
.
Chonology of life events
- June 28, 1886 Born in Wittenberg, Shawano Co, WI
- September 4, 1917 Appointed Captain, Engineer Service, ORC (Officer Reserve Corp)
- December 28, 1917 Entered on active duty for assignment at Camp Campbell, Virginia; assigned as a Student Engineer, ROTC, at Camp Lee, VA with duties as camp instructor.
- April, 1918 Attached to 44th Engineers and served as Company Commander at Fort Benjamin Harrison, Virginia, and Camp Merritt, New JerseyCamp Merritt, New JerseyCamp Merritt was a military base in Cresskill, in Bergen County, New Jersey, that was activated for use in World War I. It was from this camp that thousands of soldiers were deployed to Hoboken, New Jersey before being shipped off to Europe. Approximately four million troops were sent to the...
- April 19, 1918 Married Chicago, Cook County, Illinois to Virginia Williams.
- August, 1918 Left United States for foreign service in France, England, and Russia.
- August, 1919 Stationed in Washington, D.C., in the Office of the Chief of EngineersChief of EngineersThe Chief of Engineers commands the US Army Corps of Engineers. As a staff officer at The Pentagon, the Chief advises the Army on engineering matters and serves as the Army's topographer and the proponent for real estate and other related engineering programs....
. - October, 1919 Served as Assistant Professor of Military Science and Tactics at West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia.
- April, 1920 Instructor in bridges and hydrographic surveying and as Camp Officer at Camp A.A. Humphreys (Fort Belvoir), VA
- September, 1920 Assigned Assistant Professor, Military Science and Tactics and Officer in charge of the Engineers Unit, ROTC, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia.
- July, 1921 Assumed Command of the Engineers Unit at West Virginia University.
- June, 1923 Company Officer at ROTC Camp, Camp Meade, Maryland.
- September, 1923 Attended Engineers School at Fort Humphrey, Virginia.
- June, 1924 Assigned duty in Charge of Supply in Company, Instructor in Engineering, and Mess Officer at Camp Knox, Kentucky.
- July, 1924 Instructor, 113th Engineers, with Indiana National Guard at Gary, IN
- July, 1928 Military Assistant in charge of survey and investigation, Bonnet Carré SpillwayBonnet Carré SpillwayThe Bonnet Carré Spillway is a flood control operation in the Lower Mississippi Valley. Located in St. Charles Parish, Louisiana - about west of New Orleans - it allows floodwaters from the Mississippi River to flow into Lake Pontchartrain and thence into the Gulf of Mexico...
and also Assistant to Officer in charge of design at the New Orleans River District, New Orleans, LA. - September, 1930 Served as Company Commander of Company E, 11th Engineers, at Corozal, in Panama CanalPanama CanalThe Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
Department, Canal Zone. - September, 1932 Company Commander of 1st Engineers at Fort Dupont, Delaware and Camp Dix, New Jersey.
- July, 1933 Commanded 1224th Company, CCC, at Clarkia, Idaho, Fort Dupont, Delaware, Camp Lewes, Delaware, and Camp Dix, N.J.
- June, 1934 Company Commander, Construction at Camp Dix, N.J.
- December, 1934 Company Commander, Ordinary Garrison Training at Fort Dupont, Delaware.
- September, 1935 Assigned Company Commander, Company A, 29th Engineers, stationed at Fort Stevens, Oregon and Fort Berry, California
- September, 1938 Assigned Executive Assistant on River and Harbor duty and District Engineer in charge of all work on the Missouri RiverMissouri RiverThe Missouri River flows through the central United States, and is a tributary of the Mississippi River. It is the longest river in North America and drains the third largest area, though only the thirteenth largest by discharge. The Missouri's watershed encompasses most of the American Great...
, and stationed at Omaha, Nebraska. - May, 1942 Commanded the 332nd Engineer Regiment, Camp Clairborne, LA and saw overseas duty in Europe.
- July, 1942 Colonel Swenholt left the United States for foreign service and was Stationed in England, France and served as Regimental Commander of the 332nd Engineer General Service Regiment332nd Engineer General Service Regiment332nd Engineer General Service Regiment or 332nd Engineer Regiment was activated as a Special Service Regiment in May 1942, as a unit in the United States Army. Later this unit was redesignated a General Service Regiment. The unit was formed from some regular Army officers and enlisted men, trained...
. - November, 1945 Assigned to Office, Chief of Engineers, Washington, D.C.
- May 8, 1952 Died in Tucson, Pima County, ArizonaPima County, Arizona-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*74.3% White*3.5% Black*3.3% Native American*2.6% Asian*0.2% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*3.7% Two or more races*12.4% Other races*34.6% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
.