The naval hero of Vietnam era fighter aviation may well go to jail, having admitted to taking bribes to direct federal moneys to favored contractors – potentially against the interests of troops in the field, fighting and dying in another war, in another place. Not just small time venality either: $2.4 million worth.
I’ve met the man, dined at his table, listened to him recount the famous (in our circles anyway) tale about his fifth and final air-to-air victory on the way to becoming the first ace (and only one of two ace crews) of the Vietnam War. It was a story he told well, relished in the telling and had clearly had the opportunity to polish over the years. The way he told the story, it was an epic struggle between himself, as a representative of a free society, and a “Colonel Toom,” noted fighter ace from the NVAF. Because Duke was larger than life, certainly in his own eye as well as in the eyes of others, his final kill would have had to be against a worthy foe – not just some plumber who stumbled in front of his gunsight.
And so that was the tale the way he told it. It was the kind of tale guaranteed to keep a young(er) fighter pilot from a different era in rapt silence, seeing it all in the movements of the big man’s hands.
I’m old enough to have been around to hear the grumbling among some of his contemporaries from that war. Other fighter pilots who said he got lucky. Who said he elbowed his way into fights. People who said that he broke more jets by overstress than he bagged in combat. One guy that insisted that he was never bagged by a SAM at all, but that he ran out of gas after his last kill. I didn’t buy any of it, because I was also smart enough to see that much, if not all that criticsm that came his way was generated by that most elemental of human emotions: Envy. Adam and Eve may have dined from the tree of knowledge, but Cain killed Able because he admired his many-colored coat. And at the end of the day, Duke Cunningham and his backseater, Willy Driscoll, had five MiG kills, and they were aces. And no other fighter pilot in the US Navy could say the same.
Some guys left the war behind them and moved on. They don’t much tell their tales – that all happened a long time ago. Other guys never could put it behind them – the war defined them in some fundamental way, everything in their lives was marked as either before or after. Some guys appear to have done both. John Kerry on one side, certainly the Duke on the other. Guys who moved on, but for whom their service in Vietnam was never very far away from the conversational drift.
Because some people, I think, need to be the hero. To hear the adulation. To tell their stories to audiences rapt in silence. The same thing which drove them to great achievement drives them to attempt even greater things, but everyone has their limits and sometimes people fall short of what they would like to become. Some people peak early.
Two points do not a trend make, but it’s interesting to me that neither Kerry nor Cunningham are celebrated for their long records of legislative achievement. Kerry mostly sat in on investigations, and I imagine that must be a powerful feeling, to look down from that bench to the victim there in the spotlights, knowing that you’re the guy who gets to ask the questions, and it’s up to him to answer them. The Duke mostly brought home the bacon for his district, when he wasn’t making emotional speeches in support of the troops or blustering against those he disagreed with.
When I was kid, people used to ask if I’d rather be famous or rich. Although I found neither option truly compelling (I chose to be a naval officer, after all) I always answered, “rich.” If those were the only choices, it seemed likely to me that wealth would be a twofer. After all, if you get wealthy enough, a kind of fame would be sure to follow. Put the two of them together, you’re going to get a third benefit as well: Power.
The Duke had fame, but it was old. The Duke had power, but he never really wielded it to any notable effect. I guess the final nail might have been the moment when he realized that as a retired commander, even with a congressman’s salary, the Duke would never be rich. Not by the standards of Del Mar. Not by the standards of Rancho Santa Fe.
Flawed then, this hero. Sophocles would have been familiar with the plot.
Not about the Duke, but the story immediately brought to memory possibly the greatest short story ever written, “The Truest Sport: Jousting with Sam and Charlie” by Tom Wolfe. Most of the regulars hear have probably read it, but for anyone who hasn’t, that story alone is worth the book:
Well said, Lex. It’s always heartbreaking to see those we’ve placed on pedastals come toppling down.
And welcome back to good ol’ SoCal. Nice to know you’re back safe and sound (sans loquacious lunch, one would hope…), and our prayers continue to be with you and family.
One note, though – it was Joseph who found himself tossed in a pit due to his multi-colored cloak. Cain did in Abel because God accepted Abel’s sacrifice, but not Cain’s. Though the thread of envy runs through, just the same.
Not to compeltely hijack the thread, but I think the theme of jealousy is VERY strong in the Cain and Abel story. Cain was a farmer of the fields (if I remember correctly), and Abel was a shepherd. God told them to sacrifice an animal, but Cain defiantly said his crops were a proper sacrifice; he didn’t want to have to go to his brother for a lamb. Classic sibling rivalry/jealousy.
It would be in poor taste to rip into Duke Cunningham, especially in these confines.
The piper must be paid, however…
Whenever a Marine falls from grace, I cringe. My sympathies lay with the Naval Aviation community, who must watch as an icon to their Craft is now eviscerated before a hostile press, in the spotlight of Public Awareness, whether he deserves it or not.
I can imagine that most of the members of this fraternity are watching this with a bit of shock, with much bewilderment, shaking or heads, and mutters of “Duke, what happened?”
Not unlike seeing a shipmate who has broken the regulations, and is brought before a Court Martial.
“He was a good guy, but he stepped on himself with golf spikes…”
Ouch… Just… Ouch…
Cap’n,
There is several things ‘Duke’ Cunningham has that wannabes like John Kerry will never possess:
1. He was there, he served, and excelled. He didn’t turn tail and run when the enemy was shooting to kill him;
2. He admitted in front of the whole nation that he accepted the consequences of his actions. He did not blame someone else, no did someone else need to ‘fall on their sword’ for him;
3. He is a man’s Man not some wasted gigolo living off his wife.
One other thing that strikes me about his accomplishment. Please correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t it the Naval Aviator in two seaters that lines up and takes the shot? The GIB only finds the target and works the radios. That makes Duke’s achievement a step above the Air Force (their GIB takes the shot).
Ah, Scott. I was never as strong on OT lessons as I ought to have been, in a more nearly perfect world.
And SeniorD, without getting too far in the rest of your comment, the RIO of an F-4 shot the radar missiles, while the pilot shot the infrared. For a number of reasons (which you may well remember from your former life), the Navy was more likely to use IR missiles, since the radar missiles were not were still vacuum tube technology, and didn’t take well to the shipboard environment, what with all that crashing to land, etc.
Both guys in that jet had to work as a team, and I doubt if the Duke would have gotten to kill #5 without Willy looking over their shoulders.
Of course, the single-seat F-8 guys were consistently better dogfighters
Again not to go completely off topic — but Capt. Lex, did you ever fly in a multi-crew aircraft, and if not, why did you go for the single seated F-18 (as opposed to say the Tomcat – no “F” Superhornets back then eh? And I’m assuiming you didn’t have the F-4 as a choice for platform…)?
And on Duke… sad story… I remember your post awhile back on the allegations this would happen. I say it’s terrible he did it, but better that he fessed up.
Oh, single-seat just always appealed to me, Dan. I liked the idea that if I didn’t do it, then it wouldn’t get done. I liked knowing that there would be no one else to blame, and no one to try and blame me. Just me and the machine.
I liked the fact that when it was done well, it was me was doing it.
I liked being at high altitude, alone with my thoughts.
I liked not asking permission, not seeking consultation.
Single seat was perfect for me.
Single seat: The Introvert’s Aircraft.
Not all aviators got that choice, however……
When I was a midshipman, I wanted to fly A-7′s. God in his infinite wisdom had a far different plan for me on what I aircraft I was going to fly and it worked out quite fine. Still beats driving a destroyer any day of the week…….
As for Cunningham, I think every one heard the same rumors and grumblings. I heard many of them when he was CO of VF-126.
Actually, I think the old phrase from Wall Street is pretty apt here: “Once you have had money and lost it, its worse than never having it all” The good life is pretty easy to get used to……Hell S.C. congressmen did the same thing for years……
I’ve met the Duke too, under less intimate circumstances than Lex..”Dead Bug”, Wednesday night, Miramar O-club circa mid 80′s…. I voted for him in his first race and enjoyed seeing him stand on the corner of Orange Ave. waving to the folks. I also secretly enjoyed his excoriating diatribes against Clinton throughout his first term….
To win in aircombat you’ve got to cheat. There is no Red Baron and there is no 2nd place. The entire tribe of successful air warriors after ‘Nam flew with that credo. Unfortunetly, some carried it over in their personal & professional lives on the ground. For some I guess it always lie just under the surface….
If the Duke had retired to that backwoods area of Missouri he came from I would like to think he would have fared better and this wouldn’t have happened, but temporal and plastic Del Mar nothwithstanding, it probably would have, the temptations are too great for those so flawed.
Greed- plain and simple. A sense of entitlement perhaps and that old feeling that I am King and rules are for the little folks.
Why did he ever need a Rolls Royce?
Duke- you have besmirched (popular term of old Navy) yourself and all the rest of us who supported you. You are whale-sh.. , but I pray you can redeem yourself with the man…
B2
The sword is a nice touch. Sad situation, real bad judgement calls.
Too bad about Duke. He’s been my hero since childhood (although I was way too young to be alive at that time). I had the honor of meeting him once and I always thought he was someone I should emulate.
The other thing:
“When you’re out of F-8s your out of fighters” – ‘nuf said
-my uncle was a ‘sader driver in 211
I have zero sympathy for Cunningham. A congressman gets paid nearly $200,000 a year. The median wage in the United States is about $25,000 a year. If you’re in political life and you steal money and they catch you doing it, you belong in jail. Democrat or Republican. I cry no tears. Good riddance to the crook.
Well, having known Duke, I think the thing that made him an Ace is also what led to his downfall—–EGO.NO fighter driver can survive without it, the ones that are sucessful after leaving the cockpit are the ones who can keep it in check.
Also, the Air force WSO’s duties were essentially the same as the Navy–AIM-7 control.Thus, the Air Force had 2 WSO aces—Feinstein and DeBellevue (Feinstein with 6), and one Pilot ace–Steve Ritchie.
Lex,
Your title of this post is exactly what I have been thinking. As I discuss on my blog, growing up my old man was an AE1 with VF-121 and I vividly recall seeing his name (and Driscoll’s)on the Wall of Fame at the squadron. I grew up wanting to be the “Duke.” I also saw him tell the fifth kill story and as you mention, he is riveting. Seeing him fall from grace like this was a bit jarring to say the least. Nothing quite like seeing a childhood hero fall from grace. Hopefully, he will learn from this and find a way to meake amends.
[...] Regular readers are aware of the fact that your correspondent, although not of Cunningham’s generation, felt more than a little let down by his behavior in office. Even having said that though, I can’t escape sensing a whiff of schadenfreude in the tone of some of those quoted, a sense almost of unseemly, wounded score-settling – for all his faults and manifest flaws, the man still has five more MiG kills than most of his critics. [...]
[...] I try to pay attention. I do. It’s just that I?Ǭ
[...] I try to pay attention. I do. It’s just that I can’t quite manage the outrage – or at least, I can’t manage it against the folks they want me to be outraged at. Disappointed at times, but very rarely outraged. [...]