Horace Carswell studied agriculture at the Agricultural & Mechanical College of Texas before transferring to Texas Christian University where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Education and a minor in History.
He enlisted in the U. S. Army Air Forces in 1940, as a flying cadet in Dallas and trained at Tulsa, Okla., and Kelly and Randolph fields in Texas. He instructed at Randolph and Goodfellow fields with a promotion to First Lieutenant in February 1942. After duty as a flight instructor at Davis Monthan Field, Ariz., and Biggs Field, Texas, he was promoted to Captain in December 1942. In January 1943, Captain Carswell was assigned to the 356th Bomb Squadron at Clovis Army Air Field, N.M., where he was promoted to Major in April. He was then transferred to the 302nd Bomb Group at Langley Field, Va., in operations and group command assignments. In April 1944 Major Carswell was assigned to the 308th Bombardment Group, where he commanded a detachment of B-24 bombers in Liuchow, China.
On the night of 26 October 1944, Major Carswell was on a one aircraft mission to attack a Japanese convoy in the South China Sea. During the attack, he encountered heavy antiaircraft fire. After two engines were shot out, and the hydraulic system and one gas tank were damaged, Carswell’s crew bailed out. Major Carswell remained with his aircraft and attempted to save his wounded copilot and another crew member, whose parachute was damaged. All three were killed when the aircraft crashed into a mountain.
Major Carswell was the fourth Texas Aggie awarded the Medal of Honor.