I always associated July 29, 1967 with John McCain wet starting his A4 in the Forrestal as a lark and being evacuated off the carrier to avoid his shipmates from keelhauling him after he caused the fire.
I wonder what Trump was doing at the time?
Now there is a lot of scuttle on the Forrestal disaster and just because McCain was there doesn’t mean he started it
I do remember McCain said he was told to go below deck as the flames spread, and he was evacuated to another carrier later in the day. However, plenty of his fellow pilots joined the chiefs and the junior sailors on the hose lines, so Trump might have questioned why McCain didn't participate with the fire-fighting teams that saved the ships.
Likewise, McCain's recent performance on the Senate Armed Services Committee is fair game; he's done nothing, both as chair and ranking member, while sequestration has gutted our armed forces. He's supporting the "new" military retirement system that reduces the 20-year pension from 50% to 40% of base pay, and creates a mandatory 401K plan that will force junior troops to choose between making their contribution and paying the bills (Remember: the typical military retiree is an E-6 who gets about $1600 a month after taxes and deductions). He also did nothing about the VA scandal except make a few speeches.
McCain's record in Libya and Syria are fair game as well. This is where Trump needs to be focusing his criticism. Dismissing McCain's heroism in Hanoi is nothing short of idiocy, particularly when Trump (like millions of other young Americans) played the deferment game to avoid military service. Besides, if Trump is going to slam McCain for being a mediocre pilot and getting shot down (which is open to debate), then you're making the same critique of men like Jim Stockdale, Jeremiah Denton, Robbie Risner and Leo Thorsness, among others. Sorry, that argument simply won't hold water.
As my father is fond of saying, Trump is letting his mouth overload his brain. He desperately needs someone who can channel and focus his broadsides, and keep them directed at targets for legitimate criticism.
McCain did not start the fire on the Forrestal. It's an urban legend that has been making the rounds for years and is demonstrably false.
I don’t care for the guy, but John McCain was as responsible for the Forrestal fire as you were.
The missile that started the fire came from the Phantom across from McCain and White.