On July 29, 1967, McCain was a lieutenant commander when he was near the epicenter of the USS Forrestal fire. He escaped from his burning jet and was trying to help another pilot escape when a bomb exploded; McCain was struck in the legs and chest by fragments. The ensuing fire killed 134 sailors and took 24 hours to control. With the Forrestal out of commission, McCain volunteered for assignment with the USS Oriskany, another aircraft carrier employed in Operation Rolling Thunder. Once there, he would be awarded the Navy Commendation Medal and the Bronze Star Medal for missions flown over North Vietnam.
John McCain has passed, (CLICK)the country morns a hero who by his own standards would not agree to be freed while spending treacherous days in the Hanoi Hilton unless his men were freed before him. During the Vietnam War, he was almost killed. While McCain was on a bombing mission during Operation Rolling Thunder over Hanoi in October 1967, he was shot down, seriously injured, and captured by the North Vietnamese. He was a prisoner of war until 1973. McCain experienced episodes of torture and refused an out-of-sequence early repatriation offer.
FROM WIKIPEDIA: He secured the presidential nomination in 2008 after coming back from early reversals, but was defeated by the smooth talking previously unknown Democratic nominee Barack Obama in the general election, losing by a 365–173 electoral college margin. On September 24, McCain said he was temporarily suspending his campaign activities, called on Obama to join him, and proposed delaying the first of the general election debates with Obama, in order to work on the proposed U.S. financial system bailout before Congress, which was targeted at addressing the subprime mortgage crisis and liquidity crisis.
During and after the final debate, McCain compared Obama’s proposed policies to socialism and often invoked “Joe the Plumber” as a symbol of American small business dreams that would be thwarted by an Obama presidency. McCain barred using the Jeremiah Wright controversy in ads against Obama, but the campaign did frequently criticize Obama regarding his purported relationship with Bill Ayers. McCain’s rallies became increasingly vitriolic, with attendees denigrating Obama and displaying a growing anti-Muslim and anti-African-American sentiment. During a campaign rally in Minnesota, Gayle Quinnell, a 75-year old McCain supporter said she did not trust Obama because “he’s an Arab”, McCain pointedly replied to the woman, “No ma’am. He’s a decent family man, citizen, that I just happen to have disagreements with on fundamental issues.”
McCain was a true servant of the United States; a remarkable career serving her. Always putting service first above all others. However, his political career took a different path, that of MAVERICK. Whenever he could McCain went his way. The quintessential example is his vote which allowed Obamacare to live another day. As a soldier his ultimate commander was the President; as a Senator, McCain’s ultimate commander was himself. No president was about to tell him what to do. This caused great tension between him and President Trump. This feud continued to the end. CLICK here for the background music between the two. Additionally, CLICK here for the facts concerning McCain’s extramarital affairs. – sounds a little bit like Trump to us. But in the end, Trump became Commander in Chief. And when it came to the Republican agenda, McCain went AWOL. The feud never subsided.
In the end it wasn’t about the Republican Party, It was all about John McCain, a war hero to many; one who proudly served his country in war and peace. God Bless Senator John McCain, may he rest in peace.