Loren Swanson:
CLASS OF 1971
Willmar High SchoolClass of 1971
Willmar, MN
Loren's Story
Shortly after graduation, I enlisted in the Navy. For me it was the golden ticket off the farm. I served from June 1971 through April 1979. My first ship was the USS Chanticleer ASR-7 serving aboard until May 1973. Then I transferred to an aircraft carrier, the USS Constellation CVA-64. Both ships were homeported at San Diego, California. I made a total of three western pacific cruises where we patrolled in the Tonkin Gulf area off Vietnam. June of 1975 I transferred to Hawaii to serve on the staff of COMSUBPAC (Commander Submarine Forces Pacific Fleet) serving until January 1978. My last duty station was with VFP-63 at Naval Air Station Miramar near San Diego, Cali...Expand for more
fornia. Also known as Fighter Town (Top Gun movie). VFP-63 was a photo reconnaissance squadron that flew the Vought F-8 Crusader. After eight years in the navy I decided it was time to leave and change my career path. I came back to Willmar to study accounting. I spent over thirty years working in that profession and along the way got married and had family. I became a parent, then a grand-parent.
When my ship was in the Phillipines at Subic Bay, I was on the water front pier side going back to the ship when I met our classmate Doug Adams on the way back to his ship. Wow was I surprised. I never knew he had joined the navy. Proves it is a small world after all.
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