June Thomas Swearengin (1931-2018), of Cleveland, Ohio, served in the Women's Air Force (WAF) from 1952-1954. June Thomas Swearengin was born 3 June 1931, in Cleveland, Ohio. After the death of her mother when she two years old, Swearengin was brought up in multiple foster homes. She attended Jane Addams High School in Cleveland for ninth and tenth grade, before being placed with her final foster mother. She attended eleventh grade at Glenville High School, but after moving to Iowa with her foster family, she was unable to complete her education at that time. Swearengin found work as a salad maker at Bishop-Stoddard Cafeteria, and then as an elevator operator at Iowa Bell Telephone Company, before returning to school at Des Moines Technical High School, where she received her Certificate of High School Equivalency. Swearengin soon returned to Cleveland and began work as a stock girl at Higbee's Department Store, where she was employed until her enlistment with the Women in the Air Force, or WAF, division of the United States Air Force. At twenty-one years old, she traveled to Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas, for basic training. After basic training, in 1953, Swearengin was assigned to Bolling Air Force Base. She worked in Officer Personnel handling transactions pertaining to officers, which included typing condolence letters for the families of soldiers killed in Korea. While at Bolling AFB Swearengin met her first husband, Jacob, who worked in the dining hall as the Non-Commissioned Officer in Charge. In 1954, Swearengin was transferred to Andrews Air Force Base, Washington, D.C., where she worked in the Headquarters Military Air Transport Service. After deciding to marry, Swearengin chose to leave the military and received an honorable discharge. She soon became pregnant with her first child. Swearengin's husband was transferred to Manzano Base, southeast of Sandia Base, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, working as a chef. Swearengin decided to take advantage of her GI Bill and enrolled in Albuquerque Business College, where she received her Executive Secretarial Degree. By this time she had become pregnant with her second child. In 1959, Swearengin's husband was transferred to McGuire Air Force Base in New Jersey, and then again in 1960 to the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado. After the birth of her third child, Swearengin's husband retired from the Air Force, and started a small business, The Consolidated Cleaning Company, Inc. Swearengin and her husband eventually divorced. She acquired a job at the Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce, but did additional work with the Better Business Bureau and the Community Affairs Committee. After a few years, Swearengin resigned her position with the Chamber of Commerce and began work with the Pikes Peak Building Department, where she assisted with the taking of minutes for committees and Boards, and eventually the licensing of all contractors. In 1983, at the suggestion of her future husband, Swearengin joined The American Legion and became part of Centennial Post 209, District 7, State of Colorado. At age sixty-two, Swearengin was elected to the position of full-time Department Commander of The American Legion, and retired from the Pikes Peak Building Department. Swearengin and her husband eventually divorced and Swearengin moved to California for a year to be closer to her daughter Jayne, before returning to Colorado Springs. After several bouts with illness, Swearengin was diagnosed with Polymyalgia Rheumatica, and moved to Springfield, Missouri to live with her son, David. While there she began volunteering with the Veterans of Foreign Wars. June Therese Thomas Swearengin moved to Raleigh, North Carolina, near her daughter, Joy Reid.
