Corporal Swavely was a veteran of World War II. In Korea, he was a member of Company A, 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. On December 27, 1950, he was defending the Main Supply Route east of the Chosin Reservoir near Changiin, North Korea, when his battalion was overrun by superior Chinese forces. He was listed as Missing in Action on December 2, 1950. He was presumed dead on December 31, 1953. His remains were not recovered. His name is inscribed on the Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial.