Albert S. Graf was born on September 8, 1944, in Teaneck, NJ, to Anne and Albert Graf. His home of record is Bogota, NJ. Albert had two brothers, Thomas and Richard, and one sister, Judith. In high school, he excelled in track and cross-country. In 1961, Graf won the New Jersey Cross County Track Championship for Bogota High School. In 1962, he received the Varsity Award for Outstanding Athletic Achievement along with the Bergen County Scholastic one-mile track event. He was also elected to the Bogota High School Hall of Fame for Athletes and the High School Annual Cross County Award was named for him. Al graduated from Bogota High School in 1962.
Al continued his education at Fairleigh Dickinson University and graduated in 1966, with a BA in Psychology.
He enlisted in the US Marine Corps on September 29, 1966. After completing OCS and flight training, he attained the rank of First Lieutenant (1LT). He was a radar intercept officer on a F4 Phantom Jet.
On December 14, 1968, he married Mary Ann Blount from St. Mary’s, GA. Shortly after, he was deployed to Vietnam.
Graf was listed as missing in action on August 29, 1969, when his Phantom jet fighter was hit by enemy fire. The crash happened about 12 miles from Danang.
He was awarded the Purple Heart, Bronze Star and the Air Medal.
Synopsis (from the POW Network) as to the circumstances behind being listed as MIA:
Graf has been listed as missing in action since August 29, 1969. No additional information regarding the circumstances is available.
Sources: Tom Graf (brother), POW Network, newspaper clippings and NJVVMF.
12/17/2024
.
