Born on August 27, 1968 in Brewer, Ohio, in the United States of America, little is known of Graham's life before he joined the Marine Corps at the age of 18. Recruited into the Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, South Carolina, he received the standard technical training with the Colt M16A3 rifle and M9 pistol and was one of the first to use the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon when it was released in 1987. Graham saw his first military action in 1989 during Operation Just Cause in Panama where he was distinguished for his bravery and given the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal.