Photographer's Mate McGraw was a member of the crew of the carrier USS Oriskany (CV-34). On 6 March 1953, a F4U-4 Corsair fighter, returning from a combat mission over Korea, landed with a hung 250 pound general purpose bomb. It dislodged, fell to elevator platform three and exploded, killing the pilot and two seamen including Photographer's Mate McGraw.

McGraw was awarded the Combat Action Ribbon, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Presidential Unit Citation and the Republic of Korea War Service Medal.