"It might be true, that today what Dick/Don did might be "spinned" by a good lawyer, but in 1963, Dick/Don would be screwed. We had a young war hero in the White House, and America saw military service as a sacred obligation. If it were revealed that he switched idendity with a fallen officer, he would have been raked over the coals, legally and socially"

Exactly. You've explained it better than I did. Back then it would have been a huge deal. Several aspects of his deception would have been.

And people seem to be forgetting that the major part of Dick's crime would have been dealt with in a military court as a deserter. No matter how great the lawyer, there's not going to be much chance for him getting off easily.