Robert J. Graham
Bob flew the F-100 with the 531st st TFS, Misawa, Japan from 1960-1964, then with the 531st out of England AFB, LA, and Bien Hoa AB, Vietnam in 1964-1966. He was a Gunnery Instructor with the 4511 CCTS out of Luke AFB, in Arizona, also flying the F-100 from 1966-1969.
Units Assigned
- 1953-1955 Enlisted and Avia Aviation Cadet
- 1956-1959 Navigator, 60th FIS, Otis AFB, MA (F-94C/F-101B)
- 1959-1960 Pilot Training, Bainbridge, GA, and Laredo, TX
- 1960-1964 Pilot, 531st TFS, Misawa, Japan (F-100)
- 1962 TDY, Da Nang, Vietnam (L-19)
- 1964-1966 Pilot, 531st TFS, England AFB, LA, and Bien Hoa, Vietnam (F-100)
- 1966-1969 Gunnery Instructor, 4511 CCTS, Luke AFB, AZ (F-100)
- 1969-1972 Asst. DO and Chief of Maintenance, Incirlik AFB, Turkey
- 1972 Pilot, Checkout, George AFB, CA (F-4)
- 1973-1974 Squadron Commander, 4TFS, Udorn AFB, Thailand, (F-4E)
- 1974-1975 Air Staff, Pentagon, DCS Plans
- 1975-1976 Air War College
- 1976-1978 Plans & Programs, AFLC Headquarters, Wright Patterson AFB, OH
- 1978-1980 DCO, 51st st TFW, Osan AFB, South Korea (F-4E)
- 1980-1982 Director of Programs, USAFE, Ramstein AFB, Germany
Awards & Decorations
Flight Info
F-94C
F-101B
F-100
L-19
F-4 E
Military & Civilian Education
Military Education:
- Pilot Training
- Navigator Training
- Industrial College of the Armed Forces
- Air War College
Civilian Education:
- BS, University of Nebraska
- MBA, Auburn University
Bob Graham Caterpillar Story
In November 1964, I was with the 531st TFS. We were deployed to Clark AB in the Philippines from England AFB, Louisiana. I was flying as an IP in the backseat of an F-100F.
On takeoff, we took some ground fire at the end of the runway from what was presumed to be a group of Huk Guerillas. Some rounds hit the generator, fuel tank, and a bunch of other stuff resulting in explosions and a massive fire from forward of the wing root down the length of the fuselage. Apparently, it was quite a spectacular sight from the ground.
We were over a populated area (the city of Angeles and surrounding villages) so we could not punch off the stores or eject. We managed to get the bird up to a low downwind thinking that we might be able to get it back down on the runway. However, as we turned base, fortunately over a wide-open unpopulated area, the flight controls burned through and we ended up ejecting slightly nose down and inverted at about 800 feet.
My chute did not have a chance to fully deploy so I hit pretty hard but, fortunately, in the middle of a narrow stream about four feet deep running through the elephant grass. All in all, it was a tough way to start the day but it could have been a lot worse.
-Bob Graham
