DUANE
Duane's take
Here's my telling of what the official marker says about Major Horace Seaver Carswell, Jr. — and friend, this one you need to hear all the way through. Horace Seaver Carswell, Jr. came into this world on July 18, 1916, in Fort Worth, Texas — son of Horace S. and Bertha Rea Carswell. Fort Worth boy, through and through.
He went to North Side High School, where by all accounts he excelled in athletics. That's not a small thing — that's a kid who knew how to push himself, how to compete, how to refuse to quit. Remember that detail, because it matters.
He graduated in 1934 and enrolled at Texas A&M College, then transferred to Texas Christian University, where he lettered in football and baseball both — and still walked out in 1939 with a degree in Physical Education. The man was not coasting. In 1940, Carswell enlisted in the U.S.
Army Air Corps as a Flying Cadet. Primary Flight Training took him to Tulsa, Oklahoma, and then to Randolph Field down in San Antonio. Advanced Flying Training came at Kelly Field, also in San Antonio.
And in November of 1940, he received his wings. He then served at Randolph Field and Goodfellow Field over in San Angelo, where he met a woman named Virginia Ede. They married in October of 1941.
Two months later, the United States entered World War II. Carswell served stateside assignments for a stretch — and then, in April of 1944, he was transferred to the China-Burma-India Theater of Operations, assigned to the 374th Bombardment Squadron, 308th Bombardment Group. He commanded a unit of radar-equipped B-24J bombers operating out of Liuchow, China.
Major Carswell, leading men and machines in one of the most demanding corners of that entire war. Now. October 26, 1944.
Hold that date. That night, Carswell led a nighttime interdiction mission over the South China Sea. While his aircraft was attacking an enemy convoy, Japanese anti-aircraft fire severely damaged his plane.
Severely. He nursed that wounded bomber all the way to the China coast — and there, he ordered his crew to parachute to safety. Here is where the story turns.
Two of his crew could not bail out. They could not make the jump. And Horace Carswell — with a damaged aircraft, in the dark, over unfamiliar terrain — chose to stay.
He stayed with those two men, searching for somewhere to set that plane down, searching for any patch of ground that might give them a chance. He was still searching when the aircraft crashed into a mountainside. Horace Seaver Carswell, Jr. did not survive.
He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. The medal was presented to his wife, Virginia, and to their young son. In 1948, his remains were repatriated and buried in Fort Worth — home, where it started.
That same year, Army Air Field was renamed Carswell Air Force Base in his honor. And to this day, its airstrip carries the official name Carswell Field. A Fort Worth boy who lettered in football and baseball, who flew bombers in the dead of night over the South China Sea, who had every reason to jump and every reason not to — and didn't.
That airstrip still bears his name, and now you know why it should.
What the marker says
Major, United States Army Air Corps Horace Seaver Carswell, Jr. was born on July 18, 1916, to Horace S. and Bertha Rea Carswell of Fort Worth. He attended North Side High School where he excelled in athletics. Graduating in 1934, Carswell entered Texas A&M College and later transferred to Texas Christian University, where he lettered in football and baseball and graduated with a degree in Physical Education in 1939. In 1940, Carswell enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps as a Flying Cadet. He undertook Primary Flight Training in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and at Randolph Field (San Antonio), and Advanced Flying Training at Kelly Field (San Antonio). Upon receiving his wings in November 1940 he served at Randolph Field and Goodfellow Field (San Angelo) where he met and later married Virginia Ede in October 1941. Two months later the U.S. entered World War II. Carswell served in stateside assignments until April 1944, when he was transferred to the China-Burma-India Theater of Operations and to the 374th Bombardment Squadron, 308th Bombardment Group. Major Carswell commanded a unit of radar-equipped B-24J bombers at Liuchow, China. On October 26, 1944, he led a nighttime interdiction mission over the South China Sea. While attacking an enemy convoy, his aircraft was severly damaged by Japanese anti-aircraft fire. Carswell nursed his aircraft to the China coast where he ordered his crew to parachute to safety. When two of his crew could not bail out, he selflessly remained with his aircraft, searching for a spot to land until the damaged plane crashed into a mountainside. Carswell was posthumously awarded the medal of honor, which was presented to his wife and young son. In 1948, his remains were repatriated and buried in Fort Worth. That same year, Army Air Field was renamed Carswell Air Force Base in his honor. Its airstrip is still officially named "Carswell Field." (2016)