More feedback on the 727 article in Aeroplane Monthly Jan 2015..
With the Da Nang evacuation and the incidents appended below it could be considered battle hardened

In a failed coup d’etat in 1972, a Royal Air Maroc 727 carrying King Hassan II survived a shoot-down attempt by 4 Moroccan Air Force F-5s though the 727 was riddled with some 180 holes and lost two engines and hydraulics

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenitra_Air_Base
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?r101:S04AU9-B1191:

And a TWA 727 near Greece survived a bomb which blew a large hole in the fuselage
http://www.corbisimages.com/stock-photo/rights-managed/42-28809892/bomb-explosion-on-twa-flight
http://www.apnewsarchive.com/1986/Boeing-727s-Pretty-Tough-Birds-Airliner-s-Maker-Says-With-PM-Plane-Bomb-Bjt/id-79c3c81d0bb2ccdcfb7c7e34375d93bb

Mexicana had -200s with JATO bottles…not sure how long they were used for

I have a notion it was considered (perhaps briefly) for COD on the Super Carriers…as was the Fokker/Fairchild F-28 I think.