If he had been selected for Vietnam, he would have been trained on a more modern aircraft.
Guess you don't know many pilots. They'll do whatever is needed for the chance to fly. "W" was simply at the end of a very long line and got what they gave him.
End of story.
BTW, I VOLUNTEERED FOR the United States Army Infantry in 1968, and if you didn't do that, or volunteer for the United States Marine Infantry, you don't have the moral highground in this debate. Mary Mapes sure doesn't.