Biographical Note
Harold Benjamin Graham was born on July 7, 1899, in Spring Valley, New York.
Graham enlisted in the United States Army as a 16-year old. He was first assigned to Orr’s Mills, New York, before moving to West Point, New York. Known as "The Kid," given his young age and appearance, Graham worked as an electrician and assisted in building ships. In 1920, Graham was assigned to Kelly Field, near San Antonio, Texas, with the 71st Machine Gun Company, 147th Aero Squadron. During this period of time, Graham was a mechanic repairing engines. By February 1920, Graham was classified as an "enlisted pilot," while still performing mechanical duties. In June 1920, he was reassigned to Heller Field at Camp Dix, New Jersey. Graham was discharged in 1920.
Following his discharge, Graham returned to Spring Valley, New York. He married his wife, Janet, in 1928. Graham and his family lived in New York City, where he worked as a lineman for a telephone company. With the outbreak of World War II, Graham and his wife, Janet, were involved with a volunteer civilian patron in New York City. Harold Benjamin Graham died in 1948.