1 9 6 6 , ▁G arrison ▁participated ▁in ▁his ▁third ▁war , ▁as ▁vice ▁commander ▁of ▁the ▁ 8 th ▁T act ical ▁F ighter ▁Wing , ▁and ▁fle w ▁a ▁full ▁tour ▁of ▁bomb ing ▁and ▁f ighter ▁miss ions ▁over ▁North ▁Vietnam . ▁ ▁During ▁all ▁three ▁of ▁his ▁combat ▁t ours , ▁G arrison ▁was ▁consist ently ▁older ▁than ▁his ▁pe ers , ▁becoming ▁an ▁ace ▁in ▁World ▁War ▁II ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 2 8 , ▁in ▁Korea ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 3 7 , ▁and ▁flying ▁Rol ling ▁Th under ▁miss ions ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 5 1 . ▁For ▁this ▁and ▁his ▁ren own ▁as ▁a ▁g unn ery ▁expert , ▁G arrison ▁was ▁known ▁in ▁the ▁service ▁as ▁" The ▁Gray ▁E agle ". ▁ ▁U . S . ▁Air ▁Force ▁historian ▁and ▁author ▁Walter ▁J . ▁Boy ne ▁described ▁G arrison ▁as ▁a ▁" first - rate ▁combat ▁unit ▁leader ." ▁Col . ▁Robin ▁Old s , ▁command ing ▁the ▁ 8 th ▁T F W ▁in ▁Th ailand , ▁said ▁of ▁his ▁vice ▁commander : ▁" Of ▁the ▁many ▁hundreds ▁I ' ve ▁served ▁with , ▁Gar ry ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁greatest — as ▁pilot , ▁as ▁gentleman , ▁as ▁officer , ▁and ▁as ▁friend ." ▁ ▁Biography ▁G arrison ▁was ▁born ▁on ▁a ▁farm ▁near ▁the ▁tiny ▁ham let ▁of ▁M t . ▁Vict ory , ▁in ▁Pul ask i ▁County , ▁Kentucky , ▁a ▁part ▁of ▁App