There is no evidence of this. Two days after the fire (when they were probably still recovering the dead, and certainly before any investigation had concluded), the captain of the Forrestal told the NYT that he thought an extreme wet start may have set off the Zuni rocket, but he also said this was tentative and there were conflicting reports. He never said McCain was responsible for the presumed wet start. McCain's tail was hanging over the flight deck, towards the sea; so how could a wet start on his part set off a Zuni rocket on the other side of the carrier?
The electrical spike occurred when the F-4 Phantom switched from external to internal power. The Zuni rocket had been prematurely wired to the F-4, before it was on the catapult and a safety pin had also been removed. Without these two occurrences there is no Forrestal fire. I can't stand McCain, but I won't blame him for something that he isn't responsible for.
Believe what you want about the traitor and murderer.
“. McCain’s tail was hanging over the flight deck, towards the sea; so how could a wet start on his part set off a Zuni rocket on the other side of the carrier?”
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Right here proves you have no idea what a wet start is. When you find out you will be enlightened. It doesn’t matter whether the tail was hanging over the side or not. And once you find out what a wet start is you will also know why it is not only frowned upon, but pilots get in trouble for doing them.
McCain is a murderer and a traitor not just for the Forrestal Fire but also for what happened in Hanoi Hilton.