Born 17 Aug 1929 in Montclair, Essex, New Jersey, United States

Died 25 Nov 1967 at age 38 in Vietnam

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Darlene Kerr [send private message]

Colonel Lew Abrams was Killed in Action in Vietnam during The Vietnam War.

His Navy Cross Citation

..For extraordinary heroism as Commanding Officer of Marine All Weather Attack Squadron 242 and as Pilot of an A6A Intruder aircraft in Vietnam. In the early morning hours of 25 October 1967, Colonel (then Lieutenant Colonel ) Abrams, in the first Marine aircraft to strike at the heart of North Vietnam's Air Force, exhibited outstanding courage and presence of mind in the midst of violent combat action as he successfully completed a high-priority mission by bombing the principal military airfield in North Vietnam. A highly effective integrated complex of hundreds of radar-controlled antiaircraft weapons, barrage weapons with steel cables extending hundreds of feet into the air, two enemy airfields with MIG interceptor aircraft, and many active surface-to-air missile sites protected every approach to his target. Acting on an urgent fragmentary order, Colonel Abrams personally took charge of the preparations for a multiplane, multisquadron attack against the formidably defended Phuc Yen airfield. Barely six hours before takeoff time another fragmentary order was received, modifying the previous plan and requiring Colonel Abrams to make extensive last-minute changes in navigation and attack procedures, which allowed no margin for error. With grim determination, he promptly made corrections in heading, altitude, and airspeed and accurately delivered his bombs on the runway at Phuc Yen. Under the most demanding conditions of degraded systems operation, low-level flight in mountainous terrain in darkness, and in the face of a vicious volume of antiaircraft and guided missile fire, Colonel Abrams courageously accomplished his mission of devastating the runway at Phuc Yen. His bravery and determination throughout the bitter action were an inspiration to all who were involved and were instrumental in accomplishing this crucial mission. By his intrepid fighting spirit, daring initiative, and unswerving devotion to duty, Colonel Abrams reflected great credit upon himself and the United States Marine Corps and upheld the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.

Biography

Col Lew Abrams served in the United States Marine Corps in the Korean War
Service started: 1951
Unit(s): 3rd Marine Regiment/1st Battalion
Service ended: 1953

Col Lew Abrams served in the United States Marine Corps in the Vietnam War
Service started: Nov 1955
Unit(s): Marine All Weather Attack Squadron 242, Marine Air Group 11, 1st Marine Air Wing, Đà Nẵng Air Base, Vietnam
Service ended: 25 Nov 1967

Birth and Early Life

Col Lewis Herbert Abrams born on 17 August 1929 in Montclair, Essex, New Jersey, United States.

Education

He attended Verona High School, Verona, Essex, New Jersey and graduated in 1947.

After high school graduation, he went on to Yale University where he joined the Reserve Officers' Training Corps.

Marriage and Family

While stationed in California, he met LuEllyn Unknown maiden name.

Children of the Abrams-Unknown Marriage

1. Ellen Abrams born about 1950.
2. Sara Abrams born about 1952.
3. Ruth Anne Abrams about 1955.
4. John Abrams about 1956.

Military Service

Initial entry into service was on 26 May 1948. He went to Quantico Marine Corps Base to begin training in July 1951. In October 1951 in was a 2nd Lieutenant stationed at 4th Training Battalion, Basic Sch Mcs Quantico, Virginia, Mri Quantico, Prince William, Virginia. Some of his other assignments are below, but this is not complete. ^[1]

In Korea in 1954 he was a 1st Lieutenant in Company D, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division Fleet Marine Force.

By October 1955 Captain Abrams was in the Marine Aviation Detachment at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, Havelock, North Carolina, but the Detachment was from Pensacola Naval Air Station, Escambia County, Florida. His status was as a student.

April 1957 VMF 232, the "Red Devils", Marine Air Group 13 was in Marine Corps Air Station at Kaneohe Bay, Oahu, Hawaii. He spent time in the late 1950s and 1960s between Hawaii and Florida. In 1954 the home for the 232 was changed from Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) El Toro, Orange, California to MCAS Kaneohe Bay, Oahu, Hawaii.

VMF 232 was deployed to Westpac on the USS Bennington during the Quemoy Matsu Crisis in fall 1958 and then were stationed at the Naval Air Facility in Atsugi, Japan. The squadron was named the Marine Fighter Squadron of the year. Abrams flew the FJ-4 Fury during this deployment.

In 1958 he transitioned into the F-8 Crusader with his squadron.

Abrams became a Lieutenant Colonel on 1 November 1966. After late 1966 and before November 1967, he changed to VMFA (AW)-242 (Marine All-Weather Fighter Attack Squadron 242).

He began his Southeast Asia tour of duty on 25 November 1967. He became the Commanding Officer of Marine All Weather Attack Squadron-242 stationed at Đà Nẵng Air Base, Vietnam and the pilot of an A-6A Intruder.

Lieutenant Colonel Abrams and his crewmate, Major Robert E. Holdeman of Winchester, Randolph, Indiana, vanished at 4:25 AM while on a solo night strike mission near Haiphong, North Vietnam in an A-6 Intruder. A radio Peking broadcast confirmed the Marine Corps aircraft had been shot down in the vicinity of Haiphong.

He was Missing in Action from 25 November 1967 until 26 June 1997.

An article in the Pocono Record, Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania on 18 December 1967 gives a quote from Lieutenant Colonel Abrams of Verona, Essex, New Jersey, commander of the Marine squadron based in Đà Nẵng. He stated that on a routine flight the Intruder bombers move singly and are backed up by another aircraft to jam the enemy's radar. Two Marine F-4 Phantoms protect the bomber against MiG attack. All the missions were at night. The article mentions one attack near Hanoi, North Vietnam where 13 Surface to Air Missiles (SAMs) were fired at two Intruders aircraft. One flipped Abrams' plane over, but he recovered to complete the bomb run. It goes on to state that no MiG had ever gotten close to an A-6 Intruder night mission. The A-6 flew 200 to 300 feet off the ground helped by radar. If it was considered immune to both SAMs and MiGs, then Abrams crash is really a mystery.

He received the rank of Colonel posthumously.

The Vietnamese returned limited remains and a fragment of his military identification card in 1988. The United States military sent officials to the Hai Phong Province, Vietnam in 1993 and 1995 to try to recover his body. The villagers told them of a massive explosion and took them to the place in the fields that contained the giant water filled crater where the aircraft crashed. After draining the water, they recovered enough material to compare DNA with his sister, Louise. It was confirmed to be Abrams. On June 16 1997, the military review panel released everything for burial. His wife and daughters gave a statement about their appreciation for being able to finally put him and their minds to rest.

Some sources give the date of his casualty on 9 Feb 1978, but that is not when he disappeared.

Death and Burial

He died on 25 November 1967 in North Vietnam and was buried on 9 July 1997 at the Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Arlington, Virginia. He was given full military honors including a horse pulled caisson, solitary horse, 21-gun salute. Section 64 Site 7138. There is a photo of Col Abrams on this Find A Grave Profile. Find A Grave: Memorial #8788888 and also on the Together We Served Profile.

There is also a Find A Grave Memorial which is a memorial to him as an MIA, not a grave. It's at the Punchbowl in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Vietnam Wall Panel is Panel 30E Line 83

Sources

• Pow Network. [1]
• Arlington National Cemetery.
• US School Yearbooks, 1880-2012. 1947 Verona High School, senior class. His photo on page 14.
• US Military Registers, 1902-1985. Salem, Oregon: Oregon State Library. Years used 1954, 1960, 1965, 1970
• US Marine Corps Musters from 1951-1958.
• Pocono Record 18 December 1967, page 18.
• US Social Security Death Index.
• US Social Security Applications and Claims Index. ^[2]
• Together We Served with his full Ribbon Bar and a complete timetable for his career is found here

Footnotes

1. ↑ Together We Served gives a complete timetable.
2. ↑ This gives his father's name as Jac Abrams and his mother as Maude V. Sutton.

Acknowledgements

1. Darlene Scott Kerr created Abrams-867 on 22 October 2015, added bio, sources, photo.