Robert Frank Pheiff was born in the steel valley of Bethlehem, PA where tough, hard work was a way of life. He was a first generation American, the son of Andrew and Grace Pheiff, who owned and operated a hotel in Bethlehem. Bob was an avid reader as he was growing up and continued his love of reading into adulthood. Although not a high school athlete, he did play basketball on a city team. Following graduation from Liberty High School in 1948, he worked at Western Electric in Bethlehem until 1951.
Bob had the distinction of entering West Point on his 21st birthday. He adapted quickly and easily to the system and seemed to glide effortlessly through four difficult years. He made West Point seem like easy work and, above all, fun. Nothing seemed to bother or upset him. Moreover, he was unbelievably strong, agile, quick, and well coordinated, allowing him to achieve a top score in the physical fitness test every year. Bob was extremely capable, very smart, and was never overly concerned with academics. His “no sweat,” laid back attitude was the envy of his classmates as Bob consistently satisfied all his daily study requirements well within allotted study times. Bob finished near the middle of the class academically and chose to serve his country in the Air Force. Upon graduation, he married Anna Rich, his long-time sweetheart. The romance started before Bob entered West Point and lasted and flourished during Bobs days as a cadet.
Bob completed pilot training at Reese Air Base and was awarded his wings there. Then he transitioned to the B-47 aircraft and was first a co-pilot at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, AZ, and later an aircraft commander at Pease AFB, NH. An assignment to the Air Force Academy followed. Bob first served as an air officer commanding and then as a military training officer. In 1967, Bob was a student at Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, AL. Thereafter, Bob transitioned to the C-123 aircraft and was assigned to the 12th Air Commando Squadron to fly the Ranch Hand mission in the Republic of Viet Nam.
It was in Viet Nam that Bob had his finest hour. In RVN, the enemy conducted its operations (infiltration, supply, combat), taking maximum advantage of the triple-canopy jungle to conceal its activities. The Air Force responded with the Ranch Hand mission using the C-123 cargo aircraft equipped with spraying equipment and the herbicide Agent Orange to defoliate vast swathes of jungle. With no leaves on the trees, the enemy would have no place to hide. Twelve hours after arriving at Bien Hoa Air Base, Bob was flying his first Ranch Hand mission. Bob flew 299 more missions, accumulating more than 550 combat hours. He was one of the best-known pilots in the squadron, highly respected for his judgment, knowledge, consistently outstanding performance, courage, and devotion to duty. He always brought the plane back, even when the aircraft was declared not flyable on several occasions. Appropriately, he was awarded two Silver Stars for gallantry in action and two Distinguished Flying Crosses for heroism or extraordinary achievement while performing aerial flight. Chuck Roades, a classmate, flew a Ranch Hand mission with Bob in RVN and wrote the following, “To see the true Bob Pheiff, one needed to see him in the cockpit of his airplane. Bob achieved a kind of oneness, a blending with an airplane that created a sort of man-machine understanding that transcended the rest of us. Sheer bliss it was and sheer artistry at work.”
After returning to the States in 1970, Bob earned an MBA in computer science from George Washington University. Next in succession were assignments to Headquarters, United States Air Force, Europe; Lindsey Air Station, Germany; and to Headquarters, Tactical Air Command, Langley AFB, VA. Bob’s last assignment was as deputy commander for operations, 522d Air Control Wing, Tinker AFB, OK.
Bob retired from the Air Force in 1978 and started a second career teaching computer science at the University of Central Oklahoma (UCO) in Edmond. He was well known on campus and highly respected for his excellence as a faculty member. Bob enjoyed the school atmosphere, but his students learned early on that “Sweet Old Bob” was not always sweet. He demanded academic excellence and achievement from all his students. Midway through Bob’s career at UCO, he began to have difficulty walking. Initially, this was only a small concern, but as time passed, getting around became a formidable problem. The malady, thought to be related somehow to Agent Orange, progressed and took its toll. At first, Bob used a cane to get around, then a walker for several years, and finally a wheelchair. Although Bob rarely talked about the perils he experienced as a Ranch Hand, he did mention that during the spraying operations, Agent Orange, in some abundance, would be drawn into the aircraft and circulated within. Obviously, Bob had great exposure to Agent Orange with all its attendant health hazards while flying the 300 missions during his 366 days in RVN.
Bob passed away in his sleep at his winter home in Haines City, FL, six years after retiring from UCO and nearly 30 years after flying the Ranch Hand missions.
He is missed greatly by his friends and family, and there can be no doubt of his devotion to his family. His loving, kind, cheerful spirit lives on through his wife, Anna; his children, Loretta Pheiff and Suzanne Pippins; and grandchildren, Sarah Anne Thomas, David Robert Thomas, John Andrew Thomas, and Jerry Lee Pippins III. Bob embodied the teachings of West Point, and his life reflected “Duty, Honor, Country” in all his endeavors until the end.
Family and Dick Baker '55