Paul Swogger

Paul Albert Swogger was born March 8, 1920, in Cleveland, the third of five children to Nellie Huffman and Frank Swogger. After his parents divorced, when he was four, he, his sister, Doris, brother, Ira and their mom lived in an orphan home in Bellville, Ohio, where his mother was a teacher. After a year, his mother married Simon Marchel and they lived in Munson Hill, Ohio, and two more girls were added to the family, Eleanore and Gari. He was back and forth between Ohio and California, hopping freight trains, working odd jobs for $1.00 a day room and board from the age of 13 until he enlisted in the U.S. Army in December 1939, after war was declared. He was one of the few remaining Merrills Marauders. He served in the U.S. Armed Forces for over 25 years. He was in Panama, India, The Philippines, Burma, South Korea and Germany. He spent two years in charge of Check Point Charlie at the Berlin Wall. He retired from the military in 1966 and moved to Las Vegas where he worked security at Wonder World, the old Bonanza, the old MGM and retired as a lieutenant in security from the Hilton in 1992, at age 72. He drove all over the U.S. and Europe and accumulated a vast photo collection. He was married three times and is survived by three sons, Eric of Las Vegas, Ralf of Virginia and Kurt of Texas; two sisters, Gari Etling of Utah and Eleanore Richards of Ohio; four grandchildren, many great-grandchildren; and lots of nieces and nephews. Paul wrote in the late 90's "I just travel now, make pictures and am waiting in the back rank for the Lord to call my name." Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Monday, March 28, at the Southern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery.