Thank you so much for your reply. You put things into perspective for me. Apparently both of you were taught by VN era vets.
They appear to be old combat pilots...and I question if they were active combat...who were very eagar to, let’s say...embelish...their pilot street creds.
To be truthful, out of the many pilots we met from basic training and on, who ended up on many different bases, those who we were very close to, and those with whom we were simply aquaintances, broke bread with, were in my wedding...and continue to have a good friendship today... there were only two who continued their careers. Both retired as Admirals...the first has been a CNN military analyst, and the other ended up in DOD...he was a Mustang, and he was a Blue Angel. (You gotta love that!)
My husband got out in ‘76. Not just because Carter was going to be elected, but because the Navy went PC. To be honest, my husband scored best of his peers on every single fitness report except one. Then, he was second in a field of 23. (He didn’t tell me that until after he resigned his commission.) The guys who were plowbacks or flew desks after the training command were getting the fleet assignments. Apparently, it was “their turn.”
Frankly, the top 10% of the best pilots in the world got out at that time.
I’m sorry that you were a “victim” of a thumping. To think that you were a “victim” says a lot.
Did you ever think that, just maybe, it was part of your training? Sometimes more than “thumping” happens in the very blue skies over P’cola. Sometimes more than “thumping” happens in wartime. My husband’s second tour was as an instructor pilot and test pilot in VT-4.
As far as McCain is concerned, I’ll just say this...he is a war hero and I totally respect his conduct as a POW. However any pilot who lost as many planes as he did was not considered to be a candidate to return to the fleet, however he was given differential treatment.
Have you ever heard of McCain Field?
McCain being a “victim” of anything is hilarious. He is, and has been, nothing but an opportunist.
“if you ain’t cheating, you ain’t trying”.
Dang straight they had to cheat. Do you know the history of TACAIR in Viet Nam?
Thank you, again, for your reply. I think I understand why you think the things that you do about NAVAIR in the Viet Nam era.
However, I would like to stress that, no matter what your VN era instructors told you.......that was not the case.
One more thing...WHY...if they were so good...did they end up as they did. The best got out when the getting was good.
Just read this reply.
Thumping was not and is not part of training. (I was an instructor pilot as well) The air in P’cola is bumpy enough in the summer. This particular incident was a flat hatting maneuver pure and simple and my instructor thought it was funny.
As far as the best pilots getting out, service members of all types and shapes get out after their initial commitment regardless of the era in which they served. It is expected and the Vietnam era was no exception. The retention rate in the VN era was higher for sure, but it did not hurt the Navy in the long run. In the air world, retention was and is a problem. That’s why bonuses were instituted in the early 80’s.
Your husband was a top 10%er. Congratulations. But, the way FITREPS went, just about every officer was in the top 10%. To be ranked lower than a 10% was to be considered a bottom feeder. FITREP grade inflation was around then and is around now.
My old man was a Vietnam veteran and stayed in. It was he and his fellow officers who guided the Navy through the Carter years, the Zumwalt era and the race riots. It was they who returned the US Navy into the finest Navy ever and brought about change, not those who got out.
Your husband noted the Navy was getting PC. My pop felt the same. He retired in 1979 and when I used to compare notes with him, he was shocked. “That’s not the way WE did it.” And when I got out, I thought the Navy had become too PC.