Delmar Leslie (Fritz) Swyers passed away October 5, 2016, at Oregon Veterans’ Home in The Dalles, Oregon. He was born December 5, 1919 in Hood River, Oregon, to Walter T. and Lula P. (Steelman) Swyers, the third of seven children. He spent his early years in the Pine Grove area of the Hood River valley, attending elementary school there and then going into town to Hood River High School, where he played football and baseball. With the threat of war imminent, he was drafted into the Army in 1940 and then immediately joined the Army Air Corp. After training he was sent to England where he served as a radiomen/gunner on a B-17 bomber. During a bombing run on December 20, 1942, his plane was shot down and landed in the Seine River near Paris, France. Despite shrapnel wounds, earning him a Purple Heart, he made it ashore, was captured and spent the next two and a half years as a POW, mainly in Stalag XVII-B. Upon his liberation and discharge in 1945, he returned to Hood River and married Barbara Helen Frasier. Then duty called and he rejoined the new US Air Force. During his twenty years of service, the couple raised three sons while being stationed in France, in the Caribbean, around the US, and serving in the Korean War. He retired in 1964 and returned to Hood River where he purchased the orchard from his Father. In 1967, he married Dorothy Dikeman Smith and later built his home on the Pine Grove property. He liked to hunt, fish, bowl, rock hound, and travel. But he loved his orchard and his Family. He was preceded in death by his parents, brothers Matthew, Daryl & Wesley, sisters Myrtle Graff and Eileen Skofstad, sons Delmar Lee, David, & step-son Michael Smith. He is survived by his wife, Dorothy, sister Maxine Carter, son Donald, step-daughter Vicki Hailey (Doug), step-son Raymond Smith (Melva), daughter – in – law Debbie Swyers (David), many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Services are planned for 12:00 PM Wednesday, October 12th at Andersons Tribute Center (1401 Belmont Avenue, Hood River, Oregon 97031) with a reception to follow at Hood River Valley Christian Church (975 Indian Creek Rd, Hood River, OR 97031). Interment will be at Pine Grove Butte Cemetery (2687 Van Horn Drive Hood River, OR 97031) at 2:30PM. Visit www.AndersonsTributeCenter.com to leave a note of condolence for the family.