Originally Posted by
Mozella
Here's how:
I was a fighter pilot in Airwing 16 when McCain (a light attack pilot) joined my Airwing part way through our 1967 combat tour. I didn't know him previously because, in those days, the fighters and light attack aircraft operated out of different Naval Air Stations when not deployed onboard a carrier.
John McCain surely made a few friends, and a few enemies, in the Navy. (I do not recall his name being raised as a collaborator, so I am not sure how solid your sources were on that, but my memory of that goes back over 30 years ago and I didn't write much of that briefing down, ,so I'll leave it to those who really know).
Some years back I had the chance to review a whole load of old mishaps and found a folder that had his loss in the Gulf of Mexico. (One of a whole bunch of files we pored through that week).
Just out of curiosity: how well did you get to know Jack Fellows or Red McDaniel?
From your post, it would appear that you were not a guest at the same hotel where they stayed.
As a point of comparison: I got to meet General Wesley Clark back in the 90's before he became SACEUR. I have two close friends who worked on his staff when he was at SHAPE/SACEUR.
He's a very smart man who did a fine job of making a lousy impression (in re his
integrity) to people whose job it was to make him look good. His foray into politics met with less than brilliant success, but he's done a decent job as a talking head for various news shows/networks. (And I don't think he'd have made any worse of a pres than any of the ones since he threw his hat in the ring ... )
Some years before that, James Stockdale got into politics with Ross Perot. A very good man whose brief career in politics was not scintillating.
My point: excellence in one field of endeavor may or may not map well onto excellence in another field of endeavor. McCain was successful in politics. (And Duke Cunningham ended up in jail)
When I was flying, the F-8s had been assigned to VFP/photo recon squadrons. (Looks like you got to fly them while they were still F'ing).
They made quite the racket coming aboard.