They called McVAIN "Top Gun" followed by repeated ....

[happydreams]

references to him being a "Maverick". But thats reaching if you ask me. Maverick (Tom Cruise) never got shot down? He kicked them Libyans asses in the movie "Top Gun"! :shrug:

[MrCoffee]

1. Tom Cruise only lost one plane.

[Blue_In_AK]

2. I thought the Tom Cruise character

was based on Duke Cunningham?

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

4. Couldn't have been.

Cruise's character didn't end up in prison. ;-)

[Blue_In_AK]

5. Good point.

:)

[happydreams]

8. ROFL!

:rofl: :rofl:

[SteelPenguin]

3. What's the etiquette of calling him "Top Gun"

Top Gun refers to the Navy Program which McCain never participated in. I'm not sure of the reality of the situation, but i was under the impression that to be called "top gun" you either had to attend the school, or you had to actually be best in class of that program. Is it appropriate for them to refer to McCain in this term, from a Navy perspective?

[speedoo]

6. Well, at the very least, he'd have to actually be a fighter pilot.

He was not. He flew bombers in Vietnam. Dropped some bombs on Hanoi.

[SteelPenguin]

9. it's my understanding that strike fighter pilots do attend

not that McCain did, but it's my understanding that strike fighter pilots, which is what McCain eventually was, are trained at the school as well. This though I think didn't start till the 1990's and the need to have more mixed missions with air and ground strike components.

Either way, McCain didn't attend. Is it offensive to people in the Navy if he's refered to as a "top gun" or is it a generic term? Kinda curious.

[speedoo]

10. Having known some Vietnam era Navy pilots, I'm sure that ...

the "Top Gun" title is not to be trifled with. I'm sure McSame's misuse of it will piss a few people off.

[Thothmes]

27. Top Gun

did not start until 1969. By that time McCain was a guest of the North Vietnamese government.

[Captain Hilts]

16. No, he didn't fly "bombers." He was an "attack" pilot. nt

[speedoo]

20. He flew bombing missions.

His plane was the A-4 Skyhawk, which is an "attack" aircraft, capable of bombing and other missions.

But it's my understanding that all of McCain's Vietnam missions were bombing missions.

As a Navy vet who served in the Tongkin Gulf on a destroyer, plane guarding for the USS Ranger, I know a little bit about this.

[Captain Hilts]

25. A friend of mine was an A-7 pilot on Forrestal with McCain. "Bombers" suggests....

You and I know the difference but the word "bomber" suggests B-17s, 24s, 52s, etc. and it's not a term the navy uses.

Different from the Air Force's "bombing."

[speedoo]

26. Right, but the MSM is always talking about him as a "fighter pilot"...

when "bomber pilot" is much more accurate. So I call him a bomber pilot which is my own little attempt at correcting the MSM.

[happydreams]

7. good question.

:shrug:

Good question

[Captain Hilts]

17. It's not correct at all. He's an attack pilot, not a fighter pilot and if he'd been a good flier..

he would have been an instructor - as a friend of mine was - but he wasn't.

So, the reference is not correct.

[MercutioATC]

18. Actually, "Reverse Ace" is the correct term.

...he lost 5 planes...

[Bozita]

19. lol ... good'un!

[Vincardog]

11. Do "top Guns" graduate in the 480'th spot out of 485? He did worse than the idiot bush

[DinahMoeHum]

12. Naval Air Fighter Weapons School aka Top Gun was not established until 1969,

and McCain should never EVER be referred to as a Top Gun, since he was never there (remember, he was a POW back then).

:grr:

[hogwyld]

13. As a former servicemember

I find it appalling. I hate all wannabe "glory hounds". My Father was an actual UDT/SEAL in Vietnam, and nothing sets him off faster than these people.:grr:
First of all, the "Top Gun" school wasn't started until 1969. McLame was a POW until 1972. He's never even sniffed Miramar as far as I know.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Navy_Fighter_Weapons_School

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_McCain

Edited to add anger...

[lame54]

14. He also had plane sex with Goose

[JBoy]

21. Anyone got a cigarette?

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

15. I believe the real "Maverick" was Randy "The Dukester" Cunningham.

Look how great he turned out.

[malaise]

22. Please get it right

That's MAVRICK in Republican. :D

[postmanisu]

23. won't dog any Military god bless'm all!!!.. but

that seemed like the only issue they pushed and pushed...

[GoneOffShore]

24. McCain's real nickname is "Crash"

4 planes before being shot down.

And, as far as I know, his "wet start" didn't cause the disaster on the Forrestal.

Added on edit:

An retired Marine copter pilot friend who served in Viet Nam (and a Republican) says about "Crash" - "He wasn't no "Hee-ro". He fucked up."