Major McGraw enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1956 and served 21 years. He was qualified in fixed wing and rotary wing aircraft, with 2,414 hours of military flight time, 921 in Rotary wing aircraft, and 913 combat hours. Total flight time for Major McGraw was some 8,000 hours.

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One of his mission in Vietnam was a supply mission where he was attacked by Viet Cong units and sustained six hits to his aircraft, a DeHaviland Otter. He landed, assessed his battle damage, and returned to the scene within 30 minutes leading a force of three Huey helicopters to attack the area with rocket fire. During his second tour in Vietnam, he became helicopter qualified and was awarded the Bronze Star as a result of air missions against hostile forces throughout the war zone.

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Following his retirement from the military, he flew a Piper Aztec for the Small Newspaper Group out of Kankakee IL. In 1990, Major McGraw was named to the Illinois Military Aviation Hall of Fame. According to the newspaper group, "He was the kind of guy you'd trust with your life. His love for flying and his country was always apparent."