Korea
In March 1950 she again turned westward. A member of DesRon 91, she worked with the carrier USS Boxer out of Okinawa until the outbreak of the Korean War brought immediate assignment to Korean waters. Reacting with the characteristic speed of seaborn power, her group launched the first carrier based strike against North Korea 3 July. Besides plane guard and patrol duties she also participated in shore bombardment and five support missions along the eastern coast.
Missions near Yongdok 22 to 26 July and against Chongjin in the far northeast corner of Korea 20 August were among the more successful ones.
On 12 September the Lyman K. Swenson sailed as a ship of Task Element 90.62, the Destroyer Element of the Gunfire Support Group of the Inchon Attack Force. The following day at noon the six-ship Destroyer Element stood into Inchon harbor. On the way in they encountered a mine field. Because it was low tide the mines were visible, floating on the surface. Lyman K. Swenson destroyed one mine with 40-mm gunfire.
After anchoring in assigned positions, the destroyers conducted a one-hour bombardment against observed and suspected gun positions on the island of Wolmi-do and in the city of Inchon. This reconnaissance-in-force was intended to draw the fire of North Korean batteries. Thus their location would be revealed for neutralization by destroyer or cruiser gunfire, or by air strikes. The bombardment was highly successful. The press, and later on the historians, aptly dubbed the ships of the Destroyer Element as "Sitting Ducks". Upon retirement from the harbor, some enemy guns that had not been silenced opened up on the narrow channel through which the destroyers must pass. Shell fragments killed one officer and wounded another on board the Swenson during channel transit.
The next day Lt (JG) David H. Swenson was buried at sea. For many years it was reported that Lt (JG) Swenson was the nephew of Capt. Lyman K. Swenson. He was, in fact, not related to Capt. Swenson. Captain Lyman Knute Swenson's real family name was spelled "Swensen", with an "e". When he entered the Academy and his name was placed on the official roster, a yeoman misspelled his name as "Swenson", with an "o". Needless to say, in true military fashion, this was unchangeable. Henceforth Lyman K. Swensen was to be identified as Lyman K. Swenson. The media coverage of LTjg David Swenson's death at Inchon was misinformation. Captain Robert A. Schelling, C.O. of the Swenson at the time, tried to correct the media version but was unsuccessful in doing so. Descendants of Capt. Lyman K. Swenson also confirm the original spelling of his last name as being with an "e" and that LTjg David Swenson was not related to him. On 15 February 2001 the Department of The Navy, Naval Historical Center, confirmed that Ltjg David Swenson was indeed not related in any manner to Capt. Lyman K. Swenson. The Department of The Navy amended the erroneous information which had been included on the Department of the Navy website page for the USS Lyman K. Swenson.
On D‑Day, 15 September, Swenson returned eagerly to cover the landing and shell the enemy. For their gallantry all six ships received the Navy Unit Commendation and the Korean Presidential Unit Citation.
On 23 October, Lyman K. Swenson retired to Sasebo, Japan, and then on to the United States, arriving San Diego 18 November. After 7 months at home, she again departed for Korea 18 June 1951. On this 8‑month tour, and the succeeding one which began 15 September 1952, her main duties remained much the same as they had been during 1950. She took special pride in her ability to disrupt railroad and highway transportation and twice earned the praise of Vice Adm. H. M. Martin.
Read more about this topic: USS Lyman K. Swenson (DD-729)