31 January 1968 – On the first full day of the Tet Offensive, Major Joe Bulger (Flight Lead) and 1Lt “Fearless” Fred Abrams were asked to bomb their own base. In the early hours of the day, Vietcong forces had launched an attack on Bien Hoa AB. “The whole east end was hot,” Abrams said.
Wess was born in Miami, Arizona, and later moved with his parents to Phoenix. After graduation from high school, he attended Whittier College in Whittier California for two years.
He then joined the Arizona Air National Guard and attended pilot training in the Air Force and was the distinguished graduate of his class. After completing pilot training he returned to Tucson and entered the University of Arizona.
In 1956 an Air National Guard unit was formed in Tucson.
Wess was hired full time as a Flying Training Instructor. During his time in the Tucson ANG he served as: Flight Commander, Squadron Operations Officer, Squadron Commander, Group Director of Operations, and finally Commander of the unit in October 1971.
In April of 1981 he was returned to active duty and assigned to the Pentagon as Deputy Director of the Air National Guard of the United States. Then in 1985 he was reassigned to Pacific Air Force Headquarters (PACAF) at Hickam AFB, Hawaii. His tour included Hawaii, Guam, Japan, Korea, and other areas where reserve forces would be sent in emergencies. He was with PACAF for two years until he was sent to Tactical Air Command Headquarters (TAC), Langley, Virginia as Special Assistant to the Commander. He remained in this position for three years until retirement.
After his retirement, Wess and his wife moved to Sonoita, AZ and he joined the fire department. He became Fire Chief in 1991.
