James “Mike” Swink was born in September 1989. He attended Yucca Valley High School and enlisted in the Navy immediately after graduation. His decision to serve “was a perfect fit,” aligning with his long-held desire to help others. He exhibited this desire as a young boy by consistently supporting the elderly in his community and joining a nonprofit organization, Project R.I.D.E., which provides therapeutic horseback riding lessons to those with special needs.
Swink began his military career at the Great Lakes Naval Station in Chicago, Illinois, where he completed boot camp. He then served in Okinawa, Japan, as a hospital corpsman. That experience encouraged him to become a fleet marine force corpsman, in turn leading him to join the 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines Regiment, which was based in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. He deployed to Afghanistan in July 2010. A month later, on Aug. 27, 2010, he was killed in Helmand province while supporting combat operations.
Swink’s selflessness, kind-heartedness and desire to learn were recognized by his family, friends and fellow service members. During a memorial service in Marjah, Afghanistan, that took place four days after his death, his commanding officer affirmed that Swink “cared for all of those around him” and “made the world and the people around him better.” He referenced Swink’s decision to treat an injured Afghani child after a firefight despite the need to also care for himself as only one of several examples of his “put[ting] others before himself.” A service member who had been stationed with him in Japan also said that Swink was “hungry to learn… accepted any challenge you threw his way and… could light up a room when he walked in.” Swink’s father, Jim, remembered him as having “always stood out” and as the person “who shined brightest.” Immediately after his death, his parents received 700 emails from people whose lives Swink had impacted, paying their respects to him.
We honor his service.
Nominate a Veteran for #VeteranOfTheDay
Do you want to light up the face of a special Veteran? Have you been wondering how to tell your Veteran they are special to you? You’re in luck! VA’s #VeteranOfTheDay social media feature is an opportunity to highlight your Veteran and his/her service.
It’s easy to nominate a Veteran. All it takes is an email to newmedia@va.gov with as much information as you can put together, along with some good photos. Visit our blog post about nominating to learn how to create the best submission.
Writer: Khaled Maalouf
Editors: Daphna Gerber, Cate Manning
Researchers: Christopher Rosenquist
Graphic Designer: Saul Leon
Topics in this story
Link Disclaimer
This page includes links to other websites outside our control and jurisdiction. VA is not responsible for the privacy practices or the content of non-VA Web sites. We encourage you to review the privacy policy or terms and conditions of those sites to fully understand what information is collected and how it is used.
Statement of Endorsement
Reference herein to any specific commercial products, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise, does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government, and shall not be used for advertising or product endorsement purposes.
More Stories
This week’s Honoring Veterans Spotlight honors the service of Army Veteran David Bellavia, who received a Medal of Honor from the Iraq War’s deadliest operation, the Second Battle of Fallujah.
This week’s Honoring Veterans Spotlight honors the service of Army Veteran Scotty Hasting, who served in Afghanistan.
This week’s Honoring Veterans Spotlight honors the service of Army Veteran Roy Sheldon, who served in 97th General Hospital in Frankfurt, Germany.
