The body of a fallen Northeast Ohio service member returned home Tuesday. Lance Cpl. Austin Schwenk died in an incident at his base in North Carolina in late October.
Tuesday, a flight from North Carolina brought Schwenk’s body back to Northeast Ohio for what the military calls a “dignified transfer.”
At his family’s request, a group of law enforcement, veterans groups and others led a procession from the Brunner Sanden Deitrick Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Mentor to Cleveland Hopkins Airport to retrieve the body. The procession then drove past Schwenk’s alma mater en route back to the funeral home.
You can watch the procession in the player below:
In a 2022 video of a military signing provided by Riverside Local Schools, the soon-to-be Riverside High School grad addressed the audience about his choice to join the U.S. Marine Corps.
“I chose the Marines for the simple fact that it will give me the discipline and leadership that I believe I’ll be able to use later in my life,” Shwenk said after acknowledging his father’s experience as a Marine forged the path for him.
Some told News 5 that Shwenk already possessed the discipline necessary for a career in military service before he enlisted.
“He was very disciplined in the things that mattered to him,” said Anna Dey.
Dey first met Schwenk when he started coming with his mother to the gym she owned.
“I know he’s a grown man and a marine at that. But for me, I still see him as this ‘crazy Austin’ running around like crazy,” Dey laughed.
She saw his commitment when the then 14-year-old signed on to run an endurance fundraiser she created called “The 24 in 24.” Participants run a mile every hour for 24 hours straight to raise money for children battling life-threatening illnesses. Schwenk was among the youngest in the event’s history to finish the event.
“He’s just flying around. He was so good at running. He just made it look easy. He was a great kid,” she recalled.
He took part as the event grew year after year, becoming what Dey considers part of the core team of participants. In 2022 and 2023, he wasn’t able to run because of his commitment to the military.
The Lance Corporal was killed in a shooting at Camp Lejeune on Oct.18. The base has released limited details about the incident, but investigators called Shwenk’s death a homicide and said another Marine was in custody as a suspect.
“A lot of times the families, when we’re heading to a cemetery or a church, will want us to process past a place that was important to the person that has passed away. And in this case, Riverside High School being very important and a big part of his life,” said Adam Sanden, the president of the funeral home and cremation center.
According to Schwenk’s obituary, he graduated from Marine Combat Training in October 2022 before receiving training to become an electro-optical ordnance repairer to fix ground ordinance lasers, night vision devices and small missile and fire control equipment.
He was promoted to his current rank when he was ordered to Camp Lejeune to work in his unit’s weapons armory. He was awarded the National Defense Service Medal, and he was a Marksman in both handgun and rifle, the obituary says.
It also says Schwenk’s family, in lieu of flowers, is recommending donations to the Northeast Ohio Chapter of A Special Wish Foundation. It’s the same organization Schwenk supported when he participated in The 24 in 24, and Dey said it was a fitting legacy for the Marine who already left an impact on his community.
“There’s a very large group of people in Lake County that are grieving because Austin was special, he was unique, he was memorable,” she said.
A visitation is planned for Friday, Nov. 3, from 3-8 p.m. at the Brunner Sanden Deidrick Funeral Home and Cremation Center. A funeral service will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 4, at the Riverside High School Field House. Both events are open to the public.
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