Grave marker for Tage E. Swanson in Plot: 66, 0, 385 of the Calverton National Cemetery, Calverton (Suffolk county), New York.

Tage enlisted as Private in the U.S. Army at New York City, NY on 8 September 1941.  Interestingly he had prior experience as a  Unskilled sailor and deckhand.  Why he chose the army over the Navy can only be speculated on at this time.

He was one of the first few to volunteer for parachutist duty and was assigned to the 507th PIR for parachutist training.  After earning his parachute wings, he and many other men of the 507th were transferred as cadre for the 508, hence he became a trainer imparting things he had just learned and experienced on a fresh new group.

Tage became an accomplished rigger and once he regiment had settled in at Wollaton Park, he was transferred to RAF Cottesmore Airfield where the 82nd pooled their parachute packing teams.  There was also, in time, a parachutist training program there,