Fort Bragg soldier and North Carolina native Sgt. Michael Emmanuel Swinton, 30, who was killed in action during a controlled detonation of a downed Iranian one-way attack drone on Sunday, July 19, at Erbil Air Base, Iraq, is coming home to Fayetteville.
Sgt. Swinton was assigned to D Battery, 2nd Battalion, 55th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 108th Air Defense Artillery Brigade at Fort Bragg.
According to a post by the Patriot Guard Riders, Sgt. Swinton’s body is arriving Monday around 1:30 p.m. at the Fayetteville Signature Aviation on Control Tower Road. The Patriot Riders will escort the body to Pinecrest Funeral Home, which is located at 4721 Dubrobin Drive in Hope Mills, N.C.
Celebration of Life for Sgt. Michael E. Swinton
A viewing and celebration of life for Sgt. Swinton is planned for Saturday, August 8.
- The Viewing is from 11:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m.
- Funeral: 1:00 p.m.
Both services will take place at Southview Baptist Church in Hope Mills, located at 4089 Elk Road.
After his death, his mother, Christel Andujar, sent ABC11 this statement about her son: “Sgt. Michael Swinton was the kind of person who could light up any room. He had a contagious laugh, an incredible sense of humor, and loved making people smile. He was a true jokester who believed life was meant to be lived to the fullest…