Biography

Bob Graham – Caterpillar Club

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 groundfire 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

Units Assigned

• 1953 953 953-1955 Enlisted and Avia Aviation Cadet
• 1956 956 956-1959 Navigator, 60 60th th FIS, Otis AFB, F F-94c/F F-101B
• 1959 1959-1960 Pilot Training, Bainbridge, GA; a and Laredo, TX
• 1960 1960-1964 Pilot, 531 531st st TFS, Misawa, Japan, F F-100
• 1962 TDY, Da Nang, Vietnam, L L-19
• 1964 1964-1966 Pilot, 531 531st st TFS, England AFB, LA; Bien Hoa, Vietnam, F F-100
• 1966 1966-1969 Gunnery Instructor, 4511 CCTS, Luke AFB, AZ, F F-100
• 1969 1969-1972 Asst. DO and Chief of Maintenance, Incirlik AFB, Turkey
• 1972 Pilot, Checkout, George AFB, CA, F F-4
• 1973 1973-1974 Squadron Commander, 4TFS, Udorn AFB, Thailand, F F-4E
• 1974 1974-1975 Air Staff, Pentagon, DCS Plans
• 1975 1975-1976 Air War College
• 1976 1976-1978 Plans & Programs, AFLC Headquarters, Wright Patterson AFB, OH
• 1978 1978-1980 DCO, 51 51st st TFW, Osan AFB, South Korea, F F-4E
• 1980 1980-1982 Director of Programs, USAFE, Ramstein AFB, Germany

Awards & Decorations

Flight Info

Military Education

• Pilot Training
• Navigator Training
• Industrial College of the Armed Forces
• Air War College

Civilian Education

• B.S., University of Nebraska
• M.B.A., Auburn University