Hero there? I'd have to think about it. Quick thinking, yes. Responsible above his or her years, yes. But there is no personal risk involved, and no pesonal sacrifice involved (unless they have a phobia about using the phone and overcome it to make the call; then I would feel differently). But I think heroism requires some self-sacrifice or high degree of risk of self-sacrifice as well as some bravery.
I had forgotten that you had posted the column, but thanks for it. I did (as you see!) appreciate it.
At this point, using hindsight, yes, I definitely think we would be better off if they had ditched the plane in deep water. Our secrets would still be safe, and we would not have had to endure the national humiliation of begging for the return of our people. I hope they would all have been rescued by US forces; if they had turned straight for the nearest US base, sent out a Mayday to scramble rescue planes, and flown as far as they could before ditching, I think there's a good chance most or all of them could have been rescued. They had much better survival gear than our WWII air crews had, and we rescued a number of them at sea. Heck, a former President had to be rescued at sea, though from a boat, not a plane.
So yes, with the benefit of hindsight, I think they made the wrong decision. But whether the decision they made under the circumstances was at that time the wrong decision depends on what their orders were. Which I'm not privy to.
One thing I know. Even if they had clear and strict orders to ditch rather than let the plane fall into enemy hands and disobeyed that order to save their own lives, they are NOT going to be courtmartialed. |
