[Robert A Cook PE]

Nope.

I'm excluding those, obviously!

Your quote (on service in Vietnam) is specifically relevant: loosing 8 in "accidents" from the few that did serve is exactly what I mean.

6 members of Bush's ANG squadron were lost in training and flight accidents.

Accidents and crashes claimed 1/3 of those fighters flying out of Iceland during tis period.

And other squadrons were typical of that rate.

(Your false claim is not correct, since the fighters WERE "safe" over in Nam flying high-altitude escort service for B-52 at that time.

B-52 escort duty (over S. Vietnam routine bombing runs) wasn't subject to the rocket and AA fire that the cities had later. Bush's style fighter was high-altitude, long range bomber intercept - which wasn't needed in Vietnam. So it wasn't used there very long, nor in many missions. Of course it had few problems!

Now, when Kerry bugged out of Vietnam EARLY to go home, he had been specifically trained for a boat CO position, and he WAS NEEDED in that position. But Kerry left early!

Must of been a pretty lousy operator (or an effective whiner) for his boss to let him leave for a easy admiral's aid position after less 3 months duty. Right when they needed every man possible over there after the Tet offensive.

And he must have been a pretty lousy admiral's aide to leave that position early.

[antiRepublicrat]

(Your false claim is not correct, since the fighters WERE "safe" over in Nam flying high-altitude escort service for B-52 at that time.

Actually, they were used for harassing ground fire too. Eight crashes in 10 years in a combat zone does not make an unsafe plane.