The reporter who evacuated McCain from the Forrestal was R. W. Apple, of the New York Slimes.
From a March 2000 article, R.W. Apple Keeps a Safe Distance From His Old Buddy, John McCain:
The friendship between Mr. McCain and Mr. Apple goes back to the Vietnam War. The two met in late summer of 1967 when Mr. Apple, then a young star in editor Abe Rosenthal’s newsroom, was a covering a fire on the U.S.S. Forrestal that killed 134 sailors. One of the young Navy pilots aboard the aircraft carrier was Mr. McCain.Mr. McCain writes of their meeting in his biography Faith of My Fathers : “A distraction from my despondency appeared on the way to Subic in the person of R.W. (Johnny) Apple, the Times correspondent in Saigon. Serving as a pool reporter, he arrived by helicopter with a camera crew to examine the damaged ship and interview the survivors. When he finished collecting material for his report, he offered to take me back to Saigon with him for the daily press briefing irreverently referred to as the `Five O’Clock Follies.’ Seeing it as an opportunity for some welcome R&R, I jumped at the invitation. I passed a few days there pleasantly, wondering about my future and beginning a lifelong friendship with Johnny.”
After the accident, the Air Wing was disembarked at various ports. The Forrestal went into a 9 month repair and refit, the air crew was sent elsewhere. In the case of McCain, he was reassigned to the USS Oriskany where he continued to fly combat missions until he was shot down and was captured. Did he spent some Liberty with a Reporter? Maybe. Was drinking involved? Unless he was crazy.
I have no use for McCain’s political career, especially after his run for the President. And I think that he was dirty in the Keating five scandal, but the nonsense about his combat record is just not supported by the facts.
I’d like to know about the combat records of the posters on this thread.
Well, that fleshes it out a bit, but it still tells the same factual story of what McCain’s actions were.
Thank you. cynwoody.
I’m absolutely intrigued with the part about McCain leaving his ship with Apple and going to Saigon.
Who approved the leave, or pass, or whatever it was? I would think anyone aboard who had anything to do with the incident wouldn’t be allowed to wander off to wherever with whoever before being debriefed.
Back during my USAF service in the early 70s, they knew where I was most all the time, When I went on leave, they knew where I was and how to get in touch.
I’ll bet there’s paperwork somewhere on this trip to Saigon.