Swindle, Orson George, III, Hon., 2004 April 30

This is a Living History interview with Orson Swindle, Class of 1959, conducted by Marilyn Somers on April 30, 2004 at the Wardlaw Center, Georgia Tech Campus, Atlanta, Georgia. The subject of the interview is the interviewee’s life and experiences at Georgia Tech.

Mr. Swindle was born near Camilla, Georgia in 1937. He has one brother and sister, and four half-brothers. He grew up and attended school in Camilla. His parents divorced right after World War II, and Mr. Swindle chose to continue living in Camilla with his grandmother and great-aunt. When the time came to graduate high school, he chose to attend Georgia Tech next. Engineering was a promising career. Mr. Swindle managed to live with one of his high school friends at Tech. There were many veterans on campus who were resented by the younger students, but they were good guys. Mr. Swindle was at Tech when the controversy over the 1956 Sugar Bowl happened. He found Tech to be difficult, but there were lots of good role models for him there. He pledged ATO his first quarter at Tech. There were only a handful of women on campus at that time. For fun, the students often went to movies around the city. Mr. Swindle did not like ROTC at Tech, but he decided he would enter the Marine Corps when he graduated. He went to Quantico, Virginia a month after graduation for basic training. He also got married at this time. Mr. Swindle’s wife did not want him to be a pilot because it would mean a longer commitment to the Marines, but he could not stay away. He went to flight school in Pensacola, Florida before being sent to Vietnam. Mr. Swindle flew 204 missions in Vietnam, and was shot down on what would have been his last one. He was immediately captured by the North Vietnamese and tortured. Mr. Swindle was taken to prison in Hanoi – the Hanoi Hilton. The international community did not have much of an idea as to what went on in North Vietnamese prisons. Mr. Swindle was kept in isolation for months upon his arrival, but he began to realize other Americans were around. He learned the “tap code,” and was soon able to communicate with the other prisoners around him. The POWs rarely received or were allowed to write letters. On one occasion, Mr. Swindle was able to request asthma medicine for one of his friends who was having bad attacks. When he received the drugs, he had to sneak them across the compound for him. Douglas Hegdahl was a POW with an amazing memory. He was released early from the prison. Upon his arrival back in the States, he was able to recited the names of over two-hundred fellow prisoners and tell of their abuse. Mr. Swindle was released from prison in 1973. He was flown to the Philippines and then to Jacksonville. Mr. Swindle had to get to know his son again. He wanted to go back into the Marines, but his wife and son were not happy with moving away from Camilla. He compromised by going to graduate school and working in Albany, Georgia. He was very out of touch with the news, so he read a lot to try and catch up. Mr. Swindle thinks that the Vietnam POWs really give back to society now because they felt so helpless while they were in prison. There is a touring exhibit called “Open Doors” that chronicles the lives of about thirty Vietnam POWs. Mr. Swindle retired from the military to help his family, and he went to work for President Regan’s campaign. After Regan was elected, he appointed Mr. Swindle head of the Farmer’s Home Administration. In 1985, he moved to Washington D.C. He also got a divorce soon after. He remarried in 1989. Mr. Swindle and his wife moved to Hawaii. He ran for Congress twice while he lived there, although he did not win. In 1997, he was appointed a Federal Trade Commissioner. He has started speaking at Tech alumni functions. His family is doing well today, and he does not have any grandchildren.