Gordon M. Graham was born on February 16, 1918 in Ouray, Colorado. In 1940, he graduated from the University of California with a degree in petroleum engineering and shortly afterward joined the United States Army Air Forces. After serving for several years as a flight instructor, Graham joined the 355th Fighter Group as commander of the 354th Fighter Squadron in England. He remained in the military after World War II and held a number of command positions with the Air Force. He also flew missions in both the Korean War and the Vietnam War; between the three wars, he accumulated over 1,000 combat hours in fighter aircraft. Over the course of his career, Graham served with the 31st Tactical Fighter Wing, the 4th Tactical Fighter Wing, the Nineteenth Air Force, the Seventh Air Force, the Ninth Air Force, Tactical Air Command, and the Sixth Allied Tactical Air Force. He retired as a lieutenant general in 1973 and passed away in 2008.