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Today in History – January 31, 1968 – F-100 pilots Maj Joe Bulger and 1Lt “Fearless” Fred Abrams are given the worst kind of mission

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.

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Gates, James A.

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James A. Gates

Preferred Name: Jim
Nickname/Call Sign: Gator
Date of Birth: March 2, 1932
Highest Military Grade: 0-3 – Captain
Hometown: Charleston, WV
James A. Gates - before
James A. Gates - now
Biography
Pilot Information

James Gates flew the F-100C in November of 1956 with the 450th Fighter Day Wing/322nd Fighter Day Group/451st Fighter Day Squadron out of Foster AFB, Victoria, TX, and in 1957 with the 721st Fighter Day Group.

Units Assigned

  • 5/1955 Pre-Flight Lackland AFB, TX
  • 6/1955 Primary Flight Training – Class 56-Q Moore AB, Mission, TX (T-34, T-28)
  • 12/1955 Basic Flight Training Laughlin AFB, Del Rio, TX (T-33)
  • 6/1956 Gunnery School 3446th PLTRARON, Williams AFB, AZ (F-86F)
  • 11/1956 450th Fighter Day Wing/322nd Fighter Day Group, 451st Fighter Day Squadron, Foster AFB, Victoria, TX  (F-100C)
  • 1957 721st Fighter Day Squadron/450th Fighter Day Wing/450th Fighter Day Group (F-100C)
  • 5/1958 Air Ground Operation School – Indoctrination Keesler AFB, MS
  • 8/1958 Detachment 1 (SAGE) 32nd Air Division (ADC), Syracuse, NY (T-33)
  • 1/19/1959 Released from Activity Duty

Awards & Decorations

Flight Info

T-34
T-28
T-33
F-86 F
F-100 C

Military & Civilian Education

Military Education:

  • ROTC

Civilian Education:

  • BS, MA University of Maryland

Wall of Honor Location

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