BEAVERCREEK - Jerry R. Swanson, age 86 of Beavercreek, passed away Sunday August 30, 2015 at Hospice of Dayton. He was preceded in death by his wife of 54 years, Patty. He is survived by his children, Charles (Marie), Susan (Gary Wagner), and Steven; grandchildren, Army Capt. Joshua (Briana) Swanson, Jake (Marisa Smith) Wagner, Becky (Bob Stewart); and great granddaughter, Brilyn Stewart. Jerry was the son of Mildred and Vern Amis of Elgin, IL and was born on July 24,1929. He grew up on the family farm in Hudson, Iowa, caring for livestock along with Belgian Draft Horses. His mother remarried when he was 12 and he was adopted by Henry Swanson, and the family moved to Geneva, IL. He graduated in 1946 from Geneva HS, and from the University of Denver in 1949. He joined the Navy in 1950 as a Food Service Officer. In 1952, Jerry entered the Air Force to train as a pilot. On October 25th 1953, he married Patty (Babcock), a registered nurse. In 1958, the family moved to Yokota, Japan where he served as a Pilot and Air Commander, flying the KB-50J tanker with the 421st Aerial Refueling Squadron. He was transferred to WPAFB in Dayton as a Contract Management Rep., and flew C-47s. From 1966 to 1968 he was sent to Thailand and Vietnam to instruct and train South Vietnamese Air force pilots to fly the C-47 and while there he was awarded with the Distinguished Flying Cross. He retired from the Air Force in 1971 as a Lt. Colonel, where he was then serving as a Command pilot flying KC-135's for the 922nd ARS wing at SAC. He then was employed as a Quality Assurance Specialist for the Air Force Logistics Command for twenty years. A gathering of family and friends will be held on Tuesday September 8, 2015 from 6:00 until 8:00 P.M. at Belton-Stroup Funeral Home, 422 E. Dayton-Yellow Springs Rd., Fairborn. Interment will be at Arlington National Cemetery at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Wounded Warrior Project –or- Hospice of Dayton. Condolences may be made to the family at www.BeltonStroup.com.