I wonder how many similar stories are out there that we'll never hear of…
Sounds like that line from the original Top Gun:
Viper: I flew with your old man.
VF-51, the Oriskany. You're a lot like he was. Only better... and worse. He was a natural heroic son of a bitch that one.
Maverick: So he did do it right.
Viper: Yeah, he did it right... Is that why you fly the way you do? Trying to prove something? Yeah, your old man did it right. What I'm about to tell you is classified. It could end my career. We were in the worst dogfight I ever dreamed of.
There were bogeys like fireflies all over the sky. His F-4 was hit, and he was wounded, but he could've made it back. He stayed in it, saved three planes before he bought it.
Maverick: How come I never heard that before?
Viper: Well, that's not something the State Department tells dependents when the battle occurred over the wrong line on some map.
Lest we forget;
There were dozens, if not hundreds, of ground force encounters that won't see the light of day and I'm not just talking about the Eskimo Scouts and other units vs Spetsnaz in the cold country of Alaska….
Edit: I originally didn't include Viper's first line, but, while watching the Youtube account of Royce Williams, I noticed a coincidence he was flying off the Oriskany, THE SAME CARRIER AS MAVERICK's dad! Could Royce Williams be the illegitimate father of Pete Mitchell?
Disclaimer: Before the Vulcan cadets in the forum start shooting holes in my theory, please know, I'm just joking.