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.
After retirement from the USAF
I joined the College of Business Faculty of my alma mater, Texas A&M University where I managed Executive Development and Management Courses for Business and Industry until I was able to retire from the University in 1986.
As I had shot pistol competition on various Air Force Pistol Teams to hone my survival skill as a fighter pilot, I revived a defunct collegiate pistol team at A&M and have been the volunteer coach of the team for the past 34 years. Still going strong at 76.
Other Comments
Serving my country during two hot wars and a cold war for 21 years was the highlight of my life. Flying different Air Force fighters for a good part of it was the best part. I had the interesting experience of serving as a combat ready Fighter Pilot in the F-100C on the cutting edge of the Cold War, sitting Zulu Alert as a Day Fighter Pilot and then Victor Alert with the Mk-7 nuclear strike mission, beginning with the Lebanon Crisis.
A mid-career flying assignment was very rewarding, although not in a very exciting airplane, was training pilots of 26 allied nations in the T-28 MAP Pilot Training Program. About 80 % of our students were from South Viet Nam, starting in 1961. Another highlight was delivering slicks, snake, nape, and 20 mm mostly on unseen enemy under the teak trees, in-country, flying the F-4C. Every Fighter Pilot should have a real war to fight in, at least once in his career. I was never out of a cockpit, except for minor TDY’s, from Sept 1953 until August 1973.
Organizations: Air Force Association, Daedalians, QB’s, F-86 Sabre Pilots Assn, Super Sabre Society, F-4 Phantom Society, BSA (Been Shot At, a local group of aviation-related, career military pilots).
