Austin Behlert

I have met and known some very fasenating people in my life but the late Col Swanwick was outstanding. He was a Southern Col who at one time owned 15 or 20 acreas in Alexandria, La.I first met him while I was setup at a pistol match at Sparrows Point, Md in the early 60s. I had three custom pistols on the table for sale, a 1911 Colt, a 38 conversion and a Douglas bbld Ruger. This gent came over to look and introduced himself. He asked me how much the 45 was ,I told him 85.00 and he took it as ghis son was beginning to shoot bullseye. Next was the 38 conversion at 125.00 and he took that too. I looked around at son Bill in shock. He also took the Ruger.He proceeded to take an envelope out of a wrinkled white shirt and handed me a 1000.00 bill. I advised him that at 8 AM I didnt have change of the thousand, so he finally found a 500.00. That day brought me a real friendship in that he always told me to bring my wife to his house and spend a couple days.

He always attended the Natls at Camp Perry and performed a yearly ritual. He would rent the dining room of the famous Island House in Port Clinton for four nites. The first night he invited the whole Marine Pistol Team (about 25 guys, the next night was the Army Team the 3rd nite was the Navy and Air Force and the forth nite was for his civilian friends, I was one. He was very well known by all shooters of those years and always led the South for the North South skirmish there.

During the 80s while at the Jackson Police Natls with my wife I decided to pay him a visit. We got to his house, a mansion, When we walked in we were extadic with the museum quality everywhere. Next to the door were two Chinese Foo Dogs with a ball in thier mouth. To roll the ball was good luck. In a small alcove was a very ornate table and two chairs which once belonged to King Ferdinand.The two women who worked for him were not married but both were millionares from his investments . One took care of his many business endevors and the other took care of the house with its indoor pool. Everywhere you looked in the house were expensive collectables. We hated to turn out the light in our bedroom there was so much tto admire. We sat down to dinner with a table setting that looked like Tiffanys with solid silverwear etc. Before touching anything I asked him what each place setting was worth, 350.00 he told me He told us to meet him in the heated pool in the morning before breakfast. It maintained 90 degrees and was great

He was a great historian and could recite dates from history as if they happened yesterday. He still had my three pistols in his collection plus many others. His son was a Fed Lawyer and he never mentioned a wife so I never asked him.

Sad tho in the late 80s he would come to the NRA Convension and very few of the military reps at booths would recognize him. I always loved him like a father,(mine died when I was 12) and he was trully a legend