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 ...
Sounds reasonable. You sound like you know your stuff. Thanks for the facts.
Any facts about the other crashes McCain were involved in? Not including his SAM shoot down?
It’s discouraging that the fake news keeps coming up that Senator McCain was responsible for the fire/explosion on the Forrestal. Every time his name comes up, the fake news about the Forrestal comes up.
From what I have earned in the last day I agree with everything you posted.
Thank you for the informative response. But just for the record, I’ve never subscribed to the “McCain-Wet Start” theory, I just responded to the question about the origins of the phrase “wet start” in connection with the Forrestal by posting that quote from the C.O. in 1967. Once that phrase was in print, it didn’t take much imagination for people to try and tie it to McCain.
IMNSHO, J McCain ‘used’ his VetCard - along with J Glenn - by ‘skating’ on the Keating 5 fiasco.
As I and others have opined, he probably would have never even gotten an appointment to USNA and more than likely definitely not to NavAv School had his father/grandfather been plumbers.
His many early demerits would have made him eligible for SA stripes in the fleet had he even been offered the chance for Annapolis.
‘Blaming’ him for the fire is a cop out and before judging his ‘early’ departure from the Forrestal, one would have to see how the rest of the pilots were handled, taking in mind that his father was or was really close to being an Admiral and his GF being an Adm.. especially if he were injured or even somewhat of a ‘foul ball’ while in his Air Group.
And no, he had no business ‘interfering’ or attempting to interfere with the fire fighters - at least at the time HE was ‘involved’ and I would imagine ALL of the air wing with the exception of trained fire fighters were ordered to their quarters.
MC guilty of a lot but not this one.
I also put McC on a par with TKennedy, JF’nKerry - till he opened his pie hole - Bob Kerrey and the other Vet/Pols that signed up for ‘the other side’.
Time to move on.... McCain will get his...
Personally, I have no reason to doubt those stories, and that he may not have been the best pilot.
But I do keep in mind that even the best pilots have crashed planes through no fault of their own, bad luck, or their own mishandling of an issue, and I have never read any of the accident reports.
That said, in my reading of the accidents, two out of the three sound like he either caused the accident or compounded it. The official reports indicate that he lost track of altitude on the first one and pancaked his plane in, on the third one, an investigation found no issue with the engines that could have caused failure, and did find fault with his handling of the emergency (I don’t think this is all that uncommon, things happen fast) and on the fourth accident,
Oddly enough, the only one I am really inclined to give him some leeway on is the second one, is the only one that he is reported to have said was his fault, flying too low and hitting some wires while hot dogging at low altitude. I know I shouldn’t excuse him for that one, but our history of aviators in this country is full of men who flew aircraft close to the ground in peacetime or training.
Heck, even one of the great American aces of WWII, Major Dominic S. Gentile, cracked up his plane hotdogging over his own airfield in front of a bunch of reporters. The US military always frowned on hot dogging, but it was done anyway. But IMO, when planes reached the extremely high costs they did, hotdogging became less frowned on and more aggressively punished, ending careers.
I cannot express the strong contempt I have for McCain as a political opportunist and backstabber.
But I have always felt that we should criticize him for that and not for his actions on July 29, 1967, which he just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
I too equate him with Ted Kennedy and John Kerry. And that is a most damning comparison, for anyone who knows how much I despised Ted Kennedy and am still disgusted and repulsed by John Kerry.
That is why I characterize him as a political opportunist, a particular species of politician I abhor.
I particularly agree with you on your last sentence of your post.
I understand your characterization completely.
Thank you very much for the explanations. I can now “see” what a wet start looks like. I bet today’s planes won’t do that, have to be energy efficient, right?
I really like how you said what you said. Thanks!
Psst...read all my posts. I did not blame the fire on him. Ever.
My post wasn’t directed at you personally but you did post the thread.
“He also wasn’t a good pilot based on something I read sometime ago where he crashed a couple of planes.”
He was a North Vietnamese Ace.
Most welcome, blu...:)
The past really is never certain is it?
Like the rich kid in the small town that never did anything wrong. The admiral's kid didn't do anything wrong either.
Official Navy reports never stretch the truth either right? Official reports are just a set of assertions that will do the least harm to those in charge, or those that have birthright advantages, like Admiral's sons.
Just like flight 93 right?
Beats me, but trying some retarded strawman argument isn’t going to work for you.
Thank you. The truth is what matters to me and it is obvious from past posting that it is to you as well and you have the personal knowledge and experience to know what the truth is in this case.
There are very few people on this planet that I hate but McCain is one of them. That said, I will not make accusations against him or anyone that I know for a fact are completely false. I’ll leave liberals to indulge in that character defect.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.