Inducted in 2009
Pilot, US Air Force

Induction Video

Maj. Eugene Matthew Pabst was born in Verona, New Jersey on October 13, 1942. His father, Frederick, was a New Jersey State trooper and his mother, Marion Gaffney Pabst, was a homemaker who later became a teletypist for the Greater Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company and an accounts manager for several Wall Street firms. 

Gene entered Fordham Prep in the fall of 1956 from St. Brendan’s School on 207th Street in the Bronx. His Hughes Hall years were an extraordinarily happy time in his life. In the words of classmate Frank Kaus, “During those four years there was never a day when he wasn't smiling.” He was a four-year runner at the Prep and a member of the historic City Championship 1958 and 1959 cross-country teams. With classmate Thomas Byrne, Pabst was also outdoor co-captain for two years, leading the runners to two consecutive Catholic High School Athletic Association Awards. He was friend, teammate and classmate to fellow Hall of Honor inductee Norbert Sander.

When he was not running, Gene made time to try out other aspects of Prep life, as well. He sang for a stint with the Glee Club, was a member of the Science Club, and served his senior year on the Council of Discipline. From a young age he had a great devotion to the Blessed Sacrament, a devotion instilled by his mother Marion, a daily communicant until she passed away in 2012 at 100 years of age.

Eugene Pabst would graduate the Prep in 1960, remaining at Rose Hill to continue at the University as a member of the Air Force ROTC program. His hard work and enthusiasm brought success. Gene ranked at the top of his ROTC class and was a member of the Arnold Air Society. He was a cadet non-commissioned officer in charge of the Air Force Drill Team and was also a key member of the University’s Pershing Rifles, as Fordham marksmen's squad was known.

With a degree in economics and a commission as a 2nd Lieutenant in the US Air Force, Eugene graduated from Fordham University in June 1964, receiving the Thomas Paradine Award — the Silver Saber — as “Most Outstanding Air Science Student of the Year.”

Pabst completed his pilot training at Laughlin Air Force Base in Del Rio, Texas. He was then assigned to the 497th Tactical Fighter Squadron at McDill Air Force Base in Florida. His unit deployed to Vietnam in July 1966.

On October 7, 1966, 1st Lt. Eugene Matthew Pabst was the backseater on a reconnaissance mission in an F-4C Phantom piloted by 1st Lt. Robert M. Gilchrist. The tragic details of the mission have been summarized as follows:

The aircraft failed to recover from a dive during an attack. The wingman reported seeing a fireball and a fan-shaped oil fire. Another aircraft, after successfully completing a rocket firing pass, observed a bright flash in the water. No parachutes were seen and no beepers heard. Both men were promoted to the rank of major during the time when they were listed as missing in action.

Maj. Gene Pabst was awarded the Air Medal with four Oak Leaf Clusters, the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Purple Heart.

To date, neither wreckage nor remains have been recovered. Though presumed dead in 1973, Pabst is officially listed as “unaccounted for in Southeast Asia.” His name is inscribed on Panel 11E, Line 58 on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC. 

Words left for Gene at the Wall :

To my first love, my hero and friend:

I will never forget your sparkling blue eyes, your easy grin, your good humor, and your hard work. I met you when I was only 15, fell in love with you, and will always treasure our time together. I remember your wit and intelligence. You always wanted to be a pilot and serve your country. When we lost you, your beloved mother, your friends, and I lost a big part of our lives. The world is a bit emptier without you. My son, Matthew, carries your middle name and is proud to know your story.