What did Joseph McCarthy do to get the distinguished flying cross?
It’s a bit of a controversy. McCarthy’s version of his military service changed over the years. Though he was exempt from the draft, he volunteered to join the Marines on July 29, 1942. He entered as a 2nd Lieutenant (although he later claimed to have entered as a “buck private”), and was trained as an intelligence officer. In 1943, he was assigned to a Marine Bombing Squadron (VMSB-235). Early in his commission, he suffered an injury during a “shellback initiation”, which he would later claim to be a combat wound. McCarthy’s primary job with the squadron involved briefing and debriefing pilots, as well as examining photographs for intelligence purposes and preparing intelligence reports. He also flew some missions as a gunner/observer, though the number of missions he completed is disputed. In 1944, he claimed to have flown 14 missions as a tailgunner with the marines. McCarthy was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross in 1952 after he claimed to have flown 32 combat missions on his
