Colonel Walbrook Davis Swank

SWANK Colonel Walbrook Davis Swank, USAF, Ret., of "Walbrook" at Frederick's Hall, Va., passed away May 4, 2008. He is survived by his wife, Frances Powell Keller Gordon Swank; step-son, Robert R. Keller, wife, Sarah and granddaughter, Emily; and sisters-in-law, Blanche and Ann Powell and their families. He was preceded in death by his second wife Nellie Mae Stewart Pettit Swank and survived by her step-son, Pembroke R. Pettit and his wife, Deborah; granddaughters, Leanne Pettit and Arabella Pettit Moss, her husband, Charles Moss; and great-grandchildren, Moriah Joy and MacDaniel Bentley. He was also preceded in death by his first wife Jane Orr Swank, sisters-in-law Virginia Orr Shield and Winnie Orr Sutton, brother-in-law Jack Orr and survived by sisters-in-law, Nancy Orr Jones, Joy Orr Hocher; and brother-in-law, Robert Orr and their families. He is also survived by cousins, Courtney Van Fosson, John Davis and Phyllis Driver Diller; and a host of friends and colleagues around the world. Colonel Swank received numerous awards for meritorious and outstanding service with the Air Force during World War II and the Korean War and a Distinguished Service Citation from the Secretary of the Treasury. During WW II his duties included assisting some notable Americans including the President's son, General Elliott Roosevelt and General Charles Lindbergh, Jimmy Doolittle and Jimmy Stewart, movie actor. He served a tour of duty at the White House during the Eisenhower Administration. He was a member of the Federal Personnel Councils of Cincinnati, Ohio, Chicago, Illinois, San Francisco, California and Anchorage, Alaska, and was a member of the War Department Personnel Research Council and served for nineteen years as a member of the Board of Directors of the Amry and Air Force Civilian Welfare Fund. The Colonel was a member of the Military Officers Association of America and the Military Order of the Stars and Bars, from which he received its Distinguished Service Award and its Southern Culture Award. The author was the recipient of the prestigious Sir Moses Ezekiel Award for achievement in literature by the Virginia Society of the Military Order of the Stars and Bars and the MOSB Harry Timrod Southern Culture Award. He was a founding member of the WW II Memorial Society and of the Military Order of the Foreign Wars of the United States and the American Air Museum in Britain. He was a prolific writer of Civil War stories and authored or edited seventeen books on the subject, several relating to events, activities and people in Louisa County. He also produced four books relating to WW II. The author was awarded membership in the Bonnie Blue Society based on his scholarly research and published literature and was the recipient of the United Daughters of the Confederacy's Jefferson Davis Medal for his outstanding contributions to the preservation and promotion of our Southern History and heritage and received the organization's Cross of Military Service. The author was a member of the Society of Civil War Historians, Louisa County, Harrisonburg-Rockingham and Virginia Historical Societies, the Museum of the Confederacy and the Thomas Jefferson Chapter, Virginia Society of the Sons of the American Revolution. Colonel Swank was the founder and first commander of the Trevilian Station Camp, Sons of Confederate Veterans. He was honored by letters of commendation from U.S. Senator George Allen, Govenor Mark Warner, Senator R. Edward Houck and the Senate of the Commonwealth of Virginia for his contributions to the heritage and culture of the American South and the preservation of Louisa County's historic Trevilian Station Battlefield. He was a past President of the Worthington, Ohio Kiwanis Club and a former member of the Columbus, Ohio Junior Chamber of Commerce and member of the Board of Directors of the Louisa County Lions Club and the Louisa County Historical Society. He was a Life Member of The Ohio State University Alumni Association and the Phi Kappa Tau Fraternity. Colonel Swank was a member of the Episcopal Church of the Incarnation, Mineral, Virginia. His family will receive friends Thursday, May 8, 2008, from 6-8 p.m. at the Church of the Incarnation, where funeral service will be held Saturday, May 10, at 11 a.m. with interment at Bethphage Christian Church, Frederick's Hall, Virginia. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Episcopal Church of the Incarnation, P.O. Box 307, Mineral, Va. 23117, or any rescue squad or fire department. Visit www.woodwardfuneral.com for online guest book. Sign the online guestbook at www.dispatch.com/obituaries