Leader Born by Alton Gilbert

Author:Alton Gilbert
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Bisac Code 1: HIS027100
ISBN: eBook ISBN: 9781612000305
Publisher: Casemate
Published: 2006-08-18T16:00:00+00:00

Reaction

It is interesting that there always seemed to be a reaction to John Sidney McCain. He had hundreds of friends, but not everyone understood or approved of his style, which occasionally was unorthodox, and a number of his peers seriously underestimated his abilities.

It was noted that the appointment of McCain to alternate the command of Task Force 38/58 with Mitscher caused something of a stir among the aviators. The early-day flyers felt a latecomer did not deserve the top carrier command.22

This comment about a “stir” seems to refer mainly to the senior officers, particularly those involved in the ongoing skirmish between air admirals and battleship admirals. This sort of reaction from the senior aviators is puzzling, because John McCain had been fighting so hard for them in Washington.

But if such a stir occurred, there was no evidence that it extended down through the ranks. One pilot’s view of Slew McCain is provided by an absolutely wonderful story recorded by Harold Buell, a dive-bomber pilot on the Hornet. He related how the pilots were allowed to go ashore for recreation while Task Force 38 was at Eniwetok. After an afternoon at the junior officer’s bar, they returned to the dock to catch a boat back to their ship. Evidently the pilots were not feeling much pain and a game of the old heave-ho started, launching newcomers into the water. As events unfolded:

A fresh group had just arrived, and we were up to the count of three on a small man, when I noticed that the person we were launching into space was Vice Admiral J.S. McCain. Shouting a warning, which was too late, I dove with a couple of others into the water to retrieve him…As we got hold of him and helped him to his feet, he was gasping and wheezing and said: “Get my hat, boys, get my hat.” We retrieved the hat, got the admiral back up on the dock, and expressed our deepest regrets for our conduct.

What a great little guy he was…. He was a small man, almost fragile, and looked like a strong wind could blow him away. Dripping salt water, seaweed, and coral sand, he kept grinning as he shook hands with each of us while we continued making our apologies. He asked for a dry cigarette, lit up, and started telling us how good it was to be back with his “fighting men.” With blue eyes twinkling from a wrinkled face, dominated by both a nose and ears of heroic proportions, McCain looked for all the world like a leprechaun.

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