Not only did he do better, but most of the men captured then did as well ... and the enemy had them for a much longer period of time.
If what was reported is true these people were woefully undertrained and grossly lacking in common sense. The first part is their commanders’ fault but the latter is entirely their owm.
Seeriously- if you were assigned to that region as they were- would you not study those maps until you knew every inch of them just upon being assigned there?
Not to mention study them again before setting out every time?
I don’t care how bad the commander is, or how demoralizing the president is, seamen don’t have to sit there and be ignorant of the situation just because no one spoon fed them anything.
You can read the Executive Summary (redacted and Unclas) on CDR Salamander’s website. Answers a lot of questions being asked here, and plenty of fault at all levels.
I still believe that if McCain was on those boats the outcome would have been the same. He would have performed equally as the other crewmen on board. No better, no worse. As far as being a POW, he even admits in his book that he was treated better than his fellow prisoners because of his daddy. Beyond that, he is despicable for betraying the pow’s left behind.