A drawing of the stern of Forrestal showing the
spotting of aircraft at the time. Likely source
of the Zuni was F-4 No. 110. White's and McCain's
aircraft (A-4s No. 405 and 416, respectively) are
in the right-hand circle.
Posted on 08/27/2018 1:11:54 PM PDT by blu
Ever since, McCain has added compelling details at key points in his political career. When his stories are placed beside documented evidence from other sources, significant contradictions often emerge. One such case involves McCain’s experience in the devastating fire and explosions that killed 134 sailors on the aircraft carrier USS Forrestal during the Vietnam War three months before he was shot down over North Vietnam. McCain has made claims about this accident that differ dramatically from parts of the official Navy report and accounts of reliable eyewitnesses.
(Excerpt) Read more at truthdig.com ...
Missiles can malfunction, in 1961 a B-52 was shot down over Grants New Mexico by a Air National Guard F 100.
https://www.thisdayinaviation.com/7-april-1961/
The pilot was exonerated, and eventually retired as a Colonel and commander of the NM ANG “Tacos”. I shot skeet with him for a number of years before he passed.
Mary Hershberger is a historian, professor of history at Capital University and author of “Jane Fonda's War” and other books. She is a recipient of the Binkley-Stephenson award, given annually for the best scholarly article in the Journal of American History.
That is the author of this leftist propaganda that was begun during the 2008 election. Published August 26, 2008. Still doesn't beat the Aug. 3rd date of the video I posted a link to. After hours of searching that video was the earliest ever mention of "Wet Start Johnny" I could find on the internet.
“Has this not been de-bunked?”
The real-time video debunks it.
McInsane was the recipient of the disaster and not a cause of it. He didn’t “wet start” his plane to cause the missile problem. The missile fired due to an electrical problem of the plane that fired it.
McInsane was across the deck and his aircraft engine exhaust was pointed over the back end. In no way did he have anything to do with the missile or the resulting fire.
It seems we have some nerds that just want to say “wet start” as thought they really understand what that means. Next thing you know they’ll toss around some acronyms to make it seem they are “in the know”.
That is an assertion bordering on opinion, totally devoid of documentation.
The truth is what it is, if discoverable.
Maybe but he was on the first chopper out the very next day, that sounds unusual.
Your telling me that when a ship was in the danger the Forrestal was that everyone was not expected to help out? Tell that to some of the crews from W.W. II.
Go to post 8, those links were are pretty straight forward and true.
With this post...
DENWAY
Posts: 1
Joined: 18 Mar 2008, 18:54
I was on flight deck the morning of the fire and i can tell you that the story is a bunch of crap.McCains skyhawk was on the port side facing outboard, nothing but sea behind him. the zunni came from a f4 phantom parked on the starboard, the saftey pins were removed,as was common practice before launch,and was change after the incident. an electrical malfunction triggered the firing control. alot of good people died ,and it seems a shame some jerk can make up a political story to stir the sad memories. thanks for letting me vent.
Go to post 8 and look at all the links. It’s all a fact.
A drawing of the stern of Forrestal showing the
spotting of aircraft at the time. Likely source
of the Zuni was F-4 No. 110. White's and McCain's
aircraft (A-4s No. 405 and 416, respectively) are
in the right-hand circle.
He was probably wise to request a transfer.
Yeah, this is one of several ‘issues’ with the idea that he is an out and out military hero.
However, it is widely reported that he could have been released early but choose to stay in Hanoi as he didn’t want special treatment.
Anyone able to explain why he did that if not for heroic reasons?
Pilots are still supposed to look out for their squadron mates.
His father and grandfather were Admirals and yet he graduated very close to the bottom of his class at the Academy.And his character and respectability went downhill from there.
This article is not about the supposed wet start some here are discussing, but a different scenario. The article says that the missile fired accidentally and hit the plane next to McCain, and also that it knocked two bombs off McCain’s plane.
Some claim that there was no evidence that the missile knocked bombs off McCain’s plane, but that it had to have been “pilot error”, or McCain somehow hit the controls to detach the bombs as he escaped from his plane.
And it was supposedly those bombs that started the worst of the conflagration aboard the Forrestal.
Prior to the Forrestal fire only fire crews were trained in fire suppression and no one else was allowed to get involved in it. This incident was the instigation to change all of that and train everyone in fire suppression.
As for McCain he jumped out of his plane surrounded by fire and barely escaped it. He was probably ordered to sick bay immediately.
DE-bunked
One of the "learning curve" areas was a cruiser's air section.
Smarter maintenance chiefs drained the fuel tanks of the a/c.
Those that didn't had avgas fires to contend with during/after combat.
In one case, fire crews found the remains of a pilot that tried to hide under a pile of kapok life jackets. He was baked/burned to death.
Ok on the day that this tragic event occurred
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