BOISE, Idaho — Norman Swanson survived four years as a prisoner of war.
He lived to tell his story, one that includes surviving the battle of Wake Island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.
Wednesday marks 80 years since the beginning of the battle, which has been called "The Alamo of the Pacific."
Soldiers held off the mighty Japanese army hours after Pearl Harbor was bombed.
Norm was on Wake Island, working for Morrison-Knudsen, when the Japanese invaded.
"One of the things he did when they were being attacked, he would go get supplies from their warehouse and run back from embankment where they had guns set up," said Karen Swanson, Norman's wife.
He survived the invasion but was captured and spent the next four years as a Japanese prisoner of war.
He survived that, too.
"There was a lot of brutality and very little food that was ever given to him those 4 years," Karen said. "He had a great deal of anxiety from that later on in life had a lot of terrible nightmares sometimes. He'd wake up sort of half screaming ready to charge to fight."
Swanson knew how lucky he was to live, and when he returned home, he became a nuclear engineer and made the best of his life.
In 2016, he passed away at 92, but his memory and story live on with his widow, kids, and countless students he shared his story with over the years.
"When he retired he volunteered at several different junior highs and senior high schools," said Karen. "He would come and talk to students about his experience so they would know what to expect and what you do to serve your country, what it takes."
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