Editor,
Danny Lee should have checked his source when he stated in Thursday's letter: "In fact, McCain never held a command in the military." That's not true. McCain reported to Veterans Affairs 174 in Cecil Field, Fla., as the executive officer and was the commanding officer from July 1, 1976, until July 28, 1977. The squadron had 1,000 personnel and 70-some A-7 Corsair II aircraft during this period.
McCain has at least 1,500 flight hours in single-seat aircraft, and these are descriptively logged as "pilot in command." And if he had been an instructor in dual-piloted aircraft, these hours could have been logged as "pilot in command." Flying from USS Oriskany, he would have been senior enough to be the leader of flights of four or more aircraft on combat missions over Vietnam.
Raymond Sinwell
UNM student
