  by Stephen E. Ambrose  In 1972 Senator George McGovern of
South Dakota was the nominee of the Democratic Party for
President of the United States. To a large degree, McGovern's
candidacy was based upon opposition to the war raging in South
Vietnam and Southeast Asia. Richard Nixon, the incumbent
President, had been elected in 1968 with a promise to end the
war. Four years later that promise was unfulfilled. McGovern's
antiwar campaign brought strong opposition from many veterans
and the organizations to which they belonged. When McGovern
appeared before such groups, his reception was less than
enthusiastic. That veterans viewed Senator McGovern with such
disdain was ironic. In truth, he was one of them. In 1944 and
1945 Senator McGovern flew 35 missions as a B-24 bomber pilot
over Europe. But for the military policy limiting missions, the
number would have been larger.  Renowned historian and author
Stephen Ambrose is a 30-year friend of Senator McGovern. THE
WILD BLUE: The B-24s Over Germany was originally