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| Naval Aviation's 100th Birthday Marred By Political Correctness |
| 2011-02-22 |
| A foundation set up to celebrate Navy aviation’s 100th birthday has disavowed an official history on its website, after former combat pilots complained of inaccuracies and political correctness. As the first celebration commenced last month at a naval air base in California, a number of enraged former pilots began bombarding the 100th Anniversary of Naval Aviation Foundation with complaints. The Navy views the commemoration with high regard, with celebrations planned at Navy and Marine Corps air stations from California to Florida. The foundation‘s official history slide show featured four “firsts” for women, such as the first female operations officer in 1992. It also accentuated humanitarian missions. But it devoted only two slides to World War II and barely mentioned Vietnam, during which the Navy orchestrated a decade of multiple aircraft carrier operations. “There is ‘history’ and then there is ‘revisionist history’ written to support a political agenda,” said Roy Stafford, a former Marine attack aircraft pilot. “This timeline offered up the first female naval aviator and first female navy astronaut and first black Blue Angel pilot as major milestones and high-water marks for naval aviation to the exclusion of the real history makers. That just didn’t sit well with my simple Marine Corps mind.” Mr. Stafford is among a group of retirees who wrote e-mails of protest that ended up in the foundation‘s lap. “The true facts are that women’s contribution to naval aviation has been minimal to nonexistent for 80 of the first 100 years,” said Mr. Stafford. “The simple truth is they were not there, not World War I, not World War II, not Korea nor Vietnam. Men who pushed the limits of mankind to levels never before reached, to relegate them to footnote status while elevating the social agenda is a disservice to all who went before them.” The retired aviators’ irate criticisms directed at the 100th anniversary foundation were tinged with surprise, since it is run by men like themselves. One of them, retired Marine Maj. Gen. Bob Butcher, said that after reading the e-mailed complaints, he agreed with them and the timeline was taken off the website. Gen. Butcher, who is the 100th foundation‘s co-chairman, said the contested history was written by public affairs specialists. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose |
| #3 Maybe the PC script was written in California. PC people walk "funny"( and many tend to be from California). That is what PC is all about... being from California and walking funny? |
| Posted by: Dribble2716 2011-02-22 08:35 |
| #2 Gen. Butcher, who is the 100th foundation‘s co-chairman, said the contested history was written by public affairs specialists. Honorable of the "General" and co-chairman to accept responsibiility, stand-up fella that he must be. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2011-02-22 04:35 |
| #1 really not surprising, given that the Navy is still apologizing for Tailhook, the dead female pilots that couldn't handle a Tomcat at sea and rather than be up front and be all you can be, they insist on quotamongering. just priming the pumps for when the full effect of DADT repeal hits the fan. fully expect to see straight and gay bething on ships soon. |
| Posted by: USN,Ret 2011-02-22 00:20 |