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I only flew single seat fighters; however, I flew with a lot of guys! We were even in the same squadron most of the time. Believe me, I didn't need to be in the same fighter to know whether or not they had good hands. Pre-flight briefings and debriefings give a pilot a lot of information about their fellow fighter pilots.

I am sure that these Navy Swift Vets briefed and debriefed their missions and knew exactly what they were dealing with in other Swift boat commanders.

I get so perturbed at these reporters/anchors that know absolutely nothing about how the military works in either war time or peace time. They set themselves up as experts, and unfortunately, most people don't know they are being given false information.

I rely on an ex-Navy Chief for information about how the military works and he's taught me a lot. The phrase "served with" is key. These guys were part of the same war-fighting unit and they depended on each other to follow the rules and watch each other's backs. The line in the book chapter (paraphasing) "If you don't stay 150 yards away from my boat, I'll show you what a Purple Heart is all about" says a lot.

Well, if you only flew single seat fighters, then, using Shep logic, no one else served with you, because there was never anyone else in your plane. Did you get lonely?