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... I liked everything in the article ["Calhoun of Serfor," TIME, Sept. 14] except that portion about the Mayor's "old lady." Just where they dug up that part of the article I do not know, but I suspect my enlisted chauffeur, Chief Machinist's Mate Rafsky. The story is perfectly true and as such is okay by me, except that I would rather have spoken of the Mayor's "wife" if that article had to be published at all. I mention this from the standpoint that they are two lovely people, well along in years, and I hope that they will not consider this a slap or a reflection on them. That is my only point in taking exception to that portion of the article, but as I have previously stated, it is perfectly true.
However, thank you for the courtesy and for the honor. In accepting this article, I would like to state that instead of giving the credit to Calhoun or Billy Calhoun, I do wish that they had put the credit where the credit was due, and that is "to the officers and men of the Service Force." The article would then have been more true, as it is indeed they who performed the work and not I.
W. L. CALHOUN Vice Admiral, U.S.N. U.S. Pacific Fleet
Air-Power Admirals
Sirs:
Since my father is Rear Admiral John Sidney McCain, I read with particular interest your comments regarding him in the Sept. 28 issue of TIME. Without arguing the merits of the conclusions drawn by TIME on the McCain-Towers shift, I would like to advert to TIME'S statement: ". . . But like many other so-called air admirals, he got an airman's rating late, is not an airman by profession, but a battleship admiral with pay-and-a-half and a flying suit. Since his air training at Pensacola in 1936, at the age of 52, Battle-shipman McCain has had little to do with air developments."
In my opinion these sentences leave an unfair inference. I believe in justice to my father it should be pointed out that since leaving Pensacola the only commands he has held have been in aviation. For TIME'S information his known assignments since Pensacola were: C.O. Fleet Air Base, Coco Solo, C.Z.; C.O. the aircraft carrier, U.S.S. Ranger; C.O. U.S. Naval Air Station, San Diego; and Commander, Aircraft Scouting Force. Moreover, the Navy tells us that he has been in actual combat with the enemy. Thus, it would seem that while he has had no armchair or laboratory contact with "air developments" he has had considerable peacetime and some combat flying experience. I would not debate TIME'S comment that my father has a "flying suit"—however, I would like to add that all the available evidence points most emphatically to the fact that he uses it for its intended purpose.
JAMES GORDON MCCAIN
Washington
Sirs:
This is probably not the only letter you will receive regarding the article (TIME, Sept. 28) on Admiral Towers' appointment as Commander, Pacific Air Forces. Inasmuch as the article itself does not hold water, many others not too closely connected with the Navy will spot its weakness.