John Leonard Swigert Jr., a remarkable individual, was born on August 30, 1931, and passed away on December 27, 1982. This multifaceted personality wore many hats throughout his life, including that of a NASA astronaut, test pilot, mechanical engineer, aerospace engineer, United States Air Force pilot, and politician.
Swigert's remarkable journey began when he joined NASA in 1966, following a stint as a civilian test pilot and fighter pilot in the Air National Guard. His impressive credentials earned him a spot as the command module pilot of Apollo 13, which he joined in April 1970, becoming one of the select group of twenty-four astronauts to have flown to the Moon.
After leaving NASA, Swigert pursued a career in politics, initially running for Senate but ultimately losing the primary election to Bill Armstrong. Undeterred, he went on to run for Congress, only to be diagnosed with cancer during the campaign. Despite this setback, he managed to win the election for Colorado's new 6th district in 1982, although tragically, he passed away before being sworn in.
