My promised article concerning McCain and the USS Forrestal(CV-59) Fire

23 July 2015 | US Navy Vet

[US Navy Vet]

I will not use Wikipedia as some people have BUTTHURT with Wiki. This is what is will use: http://www.navsource.org/archives/02/cv-59/59f-0729.htm

[US Navy Vet]

Ok on the day that this tragic event occurred the Forrestal was conducting Pretty "Routine" Flight Operations in support of Operations off of the coast of N. Viet Nam(Yankee Station). When all of a sudden(MY OPINION/probably had something to do with and electrical "surge" or maybe the safety pin was not in the proper position)a Zuni 5 Inch Rocket(See the Flight Deck spot Drawing(with chronology) from F-4B Aircraft Number 110 fired and went across the Flight Deck Striking and Detonating A-4E Number 405(LCDR White) and the resultant fire and explosion occurred under and on LCDR John S. McCain's A-4E number 416. The Bombs the were placed on both A-4E's were VERY Old and were not up the even mid-1960's safety standards, they were of possibly early 1950s or maybe even 1940s "standards" and nonetheless had been sitting in storage at Naval Magazine Facility Subic Bay/Cubi Point Republic of the Philippines and has deteriorated over the years due to Heat/Humidity and just plain time. The Bombs that were "issued" to the Forrestal were in particularity bad shape(they were "rusted" and had some of the explosive substance leaking out of them(making them EXTERMLY unstable and VERY EXPLOSVIVE)(also these bomb were of a "thin-skin" variety making them VERY susceptible to "Cook-Off"). NO ONE, not the Ship's CO, The Carrier Air Wing Ordinance Officer(CAG Gunner), The Squadron CO's, Air Crews, Flight Deck Crews, Ordinance People NO ONE wanted to use these bombs(The Ship's CO tried to send them back but the Ammunition Ship wouldn't take them back(there were NO other bombs "in theatre" available to ANY of the carriers at that time to accomplish missions. So these substandard bombs were issued to the squadrons and loaded on the bombers(A-4Es). Any way when the Zuni hit LCDR White's(he later died of this) A-4 it caused an fuel deluge and it "Cooked-Off" the bomb(substandard one) and spread to LCDR McCain's A-4E(I don't where all of this "Wet-Start" SH!T came from)(McCain also had one of these substandard bombs(yes it a little later "Cooked-Off" as well). McCain saw all of this and get out of his A-4E and "crawled" onto the Aircraft's "Refueling Rod(these are about maybe 10 or 12 feet on of the Deck)" and dropped Clear of the developing carnage. Once all of this had occurred the die was cast and the Forrestal was in DEEP TROUBLE! I will answer any questions that any of you have to the best on my ability(it is the least I can/could to for the memory of these BRAVE Men)!

[US Navy Vet]

There were paragraphs when I posed it.

[henkster]

I am only vaguely familiar with this incident. What did McCain do after he got away from his A-4?

[CrazyIvan]

Have you read “Sailors Till The End”? Do you consider it an accurate account?

[knarf]

Ok on the day that this tragic event occurred the Forrestal was conducting Pretty "Routine" Flight Operations in support of Operations off of the coast of N. Viet Nam(Yankee Station).

When all of a sudden(MY OPINION/probably had something to do with and electrical "surge" or maybe the safety pin was not in the proper position)a Zuni 5 Inch Rocket(See the Flight Deck spot Drawing(with chronology) from F-4B Aircraft Number 110 fired and went across the Flight Deck Striking and Detonating A-4E Number 405(LCDR White) and the resultant fire and explosion occurred under and on LCDR John S. McCain's A-4E number 416.

The Bombs the were placed on both A-4E's were VERY Old and were not up the even mid-1960's safety standards, they were of possibly early 1950s or maybe even 1940s "standards" and nonetheless had been sitting in storage at Naval Magazine Facility Subic Bay/Cubi Point Republic of the Philippines and has deteriorated over the years due to Heat/Humidity and just plain time.

The Bombs that were "issued" to the Forrestal were in particularity bad shape(they were "rusted" and had some of the explosive substance leaking out of them(making them EXTERMLY unstable and VERY EXPLOSVIVE)(also these bomb were of a "thin-skin" variety making them VERY susceptible to "Cook-Off").

NO ONE, not the Ship's CO, The Carrier Air Wing Ordinance Officer(CAG Gunner), The Squadron CO's, Air Crews, Flight Deck Crews, Ordinance People NO ONE wanted to use these bombs(The Ship's CO tried to send them back but the Ammunition Ship wouldn't take them back(there were NO other bombs "in theatre" available to ANY of the carriers at that time to accomplish missions.

So these substandard bombs were issued to the squadrons and loaded on the bombers(A-4Es).

Any way when the Zuni hit LCDR White's(he later died of this) A-4 it caused an fuel deluge and it "Cooked-Off" the bomb(substandard one) and spread to LCDR McCain's A-4E(I don't where all of this "Wet-Start" SH!T came from)(McCain also had one of these substandard bombs(yes it a little later "Cooked-Off" as well).

McCain saw all of this and get out of his A-4E and "crawled" onto the Aircraft's "Refueling Rod(these are about maybe 10 or 12 feet on of the Deck)" and dropped Clear of the developing carnage.

Once all of this had occurred the die was cast and the Forrestal was in DEEP TROUBLE!

I will answer any questions that any of you have to the best on my ability(it is the least I can/could to for the memory of these BRAVE Men)!

< p > is my eye's friend

[US Navy Vet]

I consider it to be as accurate and anything. Sometimes with an incident like this the “Fog-of-War” takes over.

[US Navy Vet]

Thank you for the editing.

[PROCON]

HTML doesn't recognize paragraphs unless you insert a paragraph break:

< p>

If you want to resubmit the thread, hit abuse and ask the mod to pull it.

[US Navy Vet]

I don’t know. All I know is he dropped clear for the fire(s) from the A-4E refueling rod.

[ken5050]

Here's the

link

[tanknetter]

This was covered on another thread; Forrestal went to GQ and McCain probably went to where he was supposed to go: his squadron’s ready room.

[US Navy Vet]

Mr Knarf edited it for me, Thank You!

[CrazyIvan]

Thanks.

[knarf]

Your welcome ... I'm too old ... I can't even WATCH a youtube clip of a roller coaster

THAT should give you an idea

/8^)

[US Navy Vet]

(My Opinion) Because McCain was a “survivor” of the incident he MAY have been sent to the “Sick-Bay” just my opinion.

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

Was this the second or third plane he lost?

[knarf]

Mr ?

I gott'a take this tie off

People keep mistaking me for SOMEbody !

[US Navy Vet]

I don’t know.

[tanknetter]

Probably.

But there’s a lot of insinuation out there that he should have picked up a hose or a fire bottle and charged back in to fight the fire.

[Sherman Logan]

I’m curious how his plane blowing up under him while on deck could in any way be construed as his fault.