On November 18, 1952, then-Lieutenant Williams shot down four Soviet MiG-15s before landing his stricken F9F-5 Panther aboard the USS Oriskany (CVA-34) stationed in the Sea of Japan off the coast of North Korea. Because of the sensitivity of the incident, U.S. Navy and NSA officials concocted a fictional narrative and awarded Williams a Silver Star for a confirmed kill of one MiG and possible kill of another, both of unspecified national origin. Further, two other members of Williams' squadron were given false credit for MiGs that Williams shot down. Williams was told to keep the truth a secret, and he did so for 40 years. The truth was revealed by the Russians at the end of the Cold War when they revealed the identities of the Red Air Force pilots Williams shot down. However, the U.S. Navy refused to change their records on the grounds that there were no other living witnesses beyond Williams.
Question I ask is why the sensitivity and allocating kills to chaps that never pulled a trigger?