Bob Lee Swagger is a former U.S. Marine Sniper.
Born in 1946 and raised in Polk County, Arkansas, Swagger is the son of a Medal of Honor winner named Earl Swagger, a State Trooper who was killed in the line of duty when the young boy was 9 years old.
When he was old enough, Swagger followed in his father's footsteps and joined the Marines. He was trained to be a sniper and during his three tours in Vietnam with the CIA's Special Operations department, he earned the nickname of 'Bob the Nailer'. [According to Wikipedia, he was officially credited with 87 combat kills but in reality actually dispatched nearly 400.]
Receiving a wound in the hip towards the end of that conflict, Swagger would retired from the Marines with the rank of Gunnery Sergeant but the depression that followed would bring on far too much drinking, resulting in the break-up of his second marriage.
For the next decade and a half, he would live an almost hermit-like existence back home. When the events told in the first recorded adventure take place, his attitude is forced to change and his life starts anew.
The adventures of Swagger are part of this compendium because, while he is not a spy or would want to be considered one, he seems to find himself in the middle of governmental intrigue and having to deal with or against operatives in a wide variety of alphabet agencies.
The many stories related to Swagger run a wide gamut of times and places and events. Some look back to his father and the escapades he had. One even goes a generation further back to the grandfather Swagger never knew. Yet another lets the readers know about the son that Swagger lost as an infant during his time serving in Vietnam. And many move the life of Swagger along in a fascinating and quite varied journey.