Looking for info on C J Swinden, Company A, 129th IR, 37th ID

I'm the youngest child of Ceburn Jay Swinden who trained at Camp Wolters, Mineral Wells, Texas. He served in Company A, 129th IR, 37th ID, Six Army. He was wounded at Clark Field, Fort Stotzenburg, Luzon while charging the hill known as Top of the World, but months later rejoined Company A.

Dad was from Austin, Texas when he entered the service. He passed away in February 1988, and on that day the war finally ended for him as I know he relived that hell every day of his life.

Dad, as most of the veterans in my family who saw combat duty, rarely spoke of the war. He never displayed his medals and since they were lost along with his paperwork in a flood in 1981 our family has no firm records of his service experience during the war. His Army records were destroyed in the fire in Missouri(?) that destroyed most of the Army service records for service personnel during WW2.

I know very little about his service record, all his remaining children would like to know more. I do know the following:

--He carried a BAR (Browning Automatic Rifle).

--His assistant with the BAR was named Alfonso, who died a few months after Dad.

--His normal duty was with the 129th IR within Company A.

--He was on occasion reassigned to temporary scouting/recon duties comprised of teams from various outfits. Although I doubt he was affiliated with the Alamo Scouts, their missions sound very familiar to what he mentioned. Namely, scouting out landing sites for various D-Days.

--At the last Company A reunion he attended (1987?) a retired Major who took the field commission Dad turned down told my Mom that Dad had taken part in one or two raids to liberate POW camps behind enemy lines. The Major interviewed the soldiers who took part in one of those raids, but I know nothing else about that. As I mentioned, the war was rarely discussed by Dad, at least not his part therein.

--Mom, who passed away in 1991, told me Dad was recommended for the Congressional Medal of Honor for his and Alfonso's parts in a battle with the Japanese Imperial 6th Marine Division. I know little about it, mostly from studying history, but I assume this took place on Bougainville in the Solomons. Dad and Alfonso apparently seized a Japanese pill box and defended off repeated attacks until reinforced. Dad relunctantly mentioned once that the Japanese bodies were stacked up 6 feet deep in front of the pill box. He had admired there willingness to continue to fight even under such horrendous casualties. According to Mom, Dad did not receive the Medal of Honor because the two officers and one journalist who made the recommendation were killed in action before they could be interviewed.

I know little more than this, but will certainly like to hear from anyone who served with Dad and who can fill in some blanks.

Thank you,

Jack Swinden
(Amateur Radio operator W5JCK)