Harvey McSwain was born on January 11, 1949, in Cincinnati, Ohio. He enlisted in the U.S. Army on January 19, 1966, and completed basic training at Fort Knox, Kentucky, in March 1966. PFC McSwain next attended Indirect Fire Infantryman training at Fort Dix, New Jersey, followed by service with M Troop, 3rd Reconnaissance Squadron of the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment in Bamberg, West Germany, until he deployed to Southeast Asia in June 1967. PFC McSwain's final assignment was as an Indirect Fire Infantryman with Company B, 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division in South Vietnam from June 1967 until he was killed in action on August 15, 1967. He was buried at Oak Hill Cemetery in Glendale, Ohio.

Soldier's Creed:

I am an American Soldier.

I am a warrior and a member of a team.

I serve the people of the United States, and live the Army Values.

I will always place the mission first.

I will never accept defeat.

I will never quit.

I will never leave a fallen comrade.

I am disciplined, physically and mentally tough, trained and proficient in my warrior tasks and drills.

I always maintain my arms, my equipment and myself.

I am an expert and I am a professional.

I stand ready to deploy, engage, and destroy, the enemies of the United States of America in close combat.

I am a guardian of freedom and the American way of life.

I am an American Soldier.