[shotgun]

And that was just in flight school...

[rlmorel]

He had three accidents:

Pancaked in flying an AD1 Skyraider (Spad) (his fault,lost track of his altitude)

Ran into wires flying too low in another Spad (his fault too by his own admission, hotdogging)

Finally had an engine failure in a T-2 Buckeye and ejected.(an investigation found no evidence of an engine failure, but they did fault his handing of the engine failure before he ejected)

Then of course, his plane was destroyed on the Forrestal through no fault of his, and he was shot down in another plane, which...happens.

Hence the “Ace” designation.