Beertini,
Cowboy Long was a friend of mine, and several of my best buddies were pals with Glenn Rogers. I lived on the base. I HEARD the crash. I am not going to say it was like I was IN the squadron...but I knew a lot of great people that died that day too.
FYI...AWAC'ers lived to my right and left at my 8 plex. Guess what the FIRST thing I did was? I looked at cars...hoping THEY weren't flying that day. Fortunately, they weren't.
My comment wasn't meant to come off as flip. The V1 decision is life changing at times. And...there are times NOT going is right. Unfortunately, most of the time you are better off going. Yukla 27 was nasty case of Murphy laws...along with some of the stuff you mentioned as well. It wasn't a slam...just a point out that even if you do things BY THE BOOK sometimes the consequences in our business our tragic. I have aborted twice above "v1" in an Eagle. Once as a 80 hour guy I had some kind of engine problem I didn't see on the guages (later with more experience I suspect is was a nozzle stuck open). Another time a TX student decided the jet was had a problem and aborted at (no ****) 160 KIAS. In both cases, I took a departure end cable with zero ill effect. I didn't have that option in the 727, and won't on the MD-11. I got a "mulligan" with the hook, and these days in a heavy jet I don't. THAT was my point...not dishonoring the crew. I also realized after that day, watching the smoke off to the northwest of the alert shack, that not having an ejection seat requires its own kind of courage. Lot of great people on that jet...and I meant no disrepect.
Back to flying. V1 decisions are tough. 99% of the time, the GO decision is best. But there are times we "chairfly" when we might not go. That was the point of my comment...nothing else.
FWIW...I also wonder how the OG ate it for that one but General Lake skated. I was a captain at the time...figured that stuff was all above my paygrade. Just one more reason the ANG made a lot more sense to me....