He
was an American unlike any other serving six decades of service in the armed
forces and on Capitol Hill. He followed in the footsteps of his father and
grandfather, who were both four-star generals in the armed forces of the United
States. He survived five years of imprisonment and torture by the Vietnamese as
a young officer in the Navy to battle tough foes on both sides of the political
spectrum in Washington, D.C. His drive came from a code of honor that both
aided and haunted him and earned him his so-called nickname the “Maverick.”
Over the weekend, this proud American who survived war, torture, political
stardom and disappointment passed away.
On
Saturday John Sidney McCain III, the six-term senator from Arizona’s First
District, who was a two-time presidential candidate and chairman of the
powerful Armed Services committee passed away at his ranch near Sedona, AZ after
a brave year long battle with an aggressive form of brain cancer his office
announced.
The
81-year-old Senator was diagnosed with Stage 4 inoperable brain cancer a little
over one year ago and that his passing was immediate.
Late
Saturday night, people carrying flags stood outside the funeral home in Arizona
where Mr. McCain’s body was taken.
Mr.
McCain had been away from Capitol Hill since December 2017 continued to work
and his influence as the leader of the GOP and a counterpuncher to President
Donald Trump.
Given
the grim diagnosis of his cancer and that he would not be running for
re-election, McCain said in his memoir, “The Restless Wave” that was published
back in May, “I can speak my mind without fearing the consequences much.” “And
I can vote my conscience without worry.”
This
Wednesday, Mr. McCain’s body will lie in state at the Arizona State Capitol and
Capitol Rotunda-only the 13th time a senator has done so according
to a report from The New York Times and People.com.
On
Friday, Mr. McCain will lie in state at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.
and the funeral service will take place on Saturday, where he is expected according
to the Arizona Republic Senator
McCain is expected to be buried near his classmate at the U.S. Naval Academy
and lifelong friend Chuck Larson at the U.S. Naval Academy Cemetery in Annapolis,
MD according to his official website.
Expected
to speak at the funeral are former Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush, both
of whom defeated McCain in the prior presidential races in 2000 and 2008
respectably.
One
not person expected to attend is the current President Donald Trump, who Mr.
McCain has on numerous occasions disagreed with during the 2016 campaign and
after.
One
not person expected to attend is the current President Donald Trump, who Mr.
McCain has on numerous occasions disagreed with during the 2016 campaign and
after.
It
took the 45th leader of the free world, which Senator McCain said he
did not want at his funeral 48 hours to break his silence about the senator’s
passing and amid mounting pressure to recognize his distinguished service to
our nation.
Despite
repeated questions from the likes of ABC News’ Chief White House Correspondent
Jonathan Karl, Mr. Trump never acknowledge him or his service as a solider or his
time as Senator until very late in the day.
Also,
late on Monday, President Trump issued a proclamation ordering flags fly at
half staff at government buildings including The White House which did lower its
flag to half staff overnight.
That
decision though came after mounting pressure from the American Legion and the nonprofit
organization Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), which represents millions of
American veterans
“Our
hearts and prayers are going to the family of Senator John McCain,” Mr. Trump
said. “There will be a lot of activity over the next number of days and we very
much appreciate everything Senator McCain has done for our country.”
First
Lady Melania Trump had tweeted after the passing of Senator McCain over the weekend,
“Our thoughts, prayers and deepest sympathy to the McCain Family.” “Thank you
Senator McCain for your service to the nation.”
He
is survived by his wife of 38 years Cindy, chairwoman of the $300 million-year-Hensley
& Co., one of the largest Anheuser-Busch beer distributors in the country.
The
64-year-old wrote on her twitter account @cindymccain on Saturday night, “My
heart is broken. I am so lucky to have lived the adventure of loving this
incredible man for 38 years. He passed the way he lived, on his own terms,
surrounded by the people he loved, in the place he loved best.”
Mr.
McCain also had seven children from his two marriages. From his first marriage
to the former Carol Shipp, he adopted her two boys Douglas and Andrew and they
had a daughter named Sidney. He had four children with Cindy, daughter Meghan,
co-host on ABC’s “The View,” son John Sidney IV and James and youngest daughter
Bridget, who the McCain’s adopted from Bangladeshi in 1991.
“All
that I am is thanks to him. Now that he is gone, the task of my lifetime is to
live up to his example, his expectations, and his love,” Meghan said in a
statement over the weekend.
Upon
his passing, all American Flags from our nation’s capital to states across the
country have flown at half mass and Mr. McCain’s were quick to express their
feelings and condolences about the man they call a “true hero.”
From
his twitter account, New York Mayor Andrew Cuomo @NYGovCuomo said, “John McCain
gave his life in service to this nation, exemplifying all that we admire in a
hero. He was a warrior and a statesman, in the old-fashioned sense. In his own
way, he spoke truth to power.”
“He
criticized Republicans and Democrats alike. John McCain criticized all of us.
Because in his mind, those of us who are privileged to hold public office can
never work hard enough for the people of this country. He was right.”
Senator
Charles Schumer (D-NY) echoed those same sentiments of his friend and colleague
of many years saying, “As you go through life you meet very few truly great
men. John McCain was one of them. His dedication to his country and the
military was unsurpassed, and you maybe most of all, he was a truth
teller-never afraid to speak truth to power… at a time when there is so few
people who do that.” “He will be so missed.”
“The
world has lost a hero and a statesman…I have lost a wonderful friend,” Sen.
Jeff Flake, a fellow Arizonan, who said earlier this year that he will not be
seeking re-election said of his former peer.
Mr.
Flake also added on ABC News’ “The Week with George Stephanopoulos” on Sunday
that the greatest lesson he learned from Mr. McCain was to “forgive.” That he
had an ability to see the good in his opponents.
He
also said of a moment the two shared on a plane ride back to Arizona after Mr.
Flake took a beating in the press at home and local officials for challenging
spending and McCain said to him putting his finger into his chest saying, “‘Don’t
back down.’ He said you’re in the right and they’ll come around and it was all
that I needed and from that time forward I really appreciated his friendship
and his advice.”
At
the U.S. Intrepid in New York, where Mr. McCain flew missions off of the
carrier when it was on active duty in 1960, the now museum had presented him
with an award in recognition of his leadership, values of freedom and
democracy.
Mr.
McCain was born on a U.S. military base, Coco Solo Naval Air Station in the
Panama Canal Zone on Aug. 29, 1936. He was the middle child of naval officer
John S. McCain Jr. and Roberta (Wright) McCain with an older brother Joe and
sister Sandy.
While
he attended nearly 20 schools in the early stages of his life, Mr. McCain and
his family settled down in Northern Virginia in 1951.
After
graduating from Episcopal High School, a private preparatory boarding school in
Alexandria, VA in 1954, Mr. McCain entered the United States Naval Academy in
Annapolis, MD.
He
would graduate in 1958, fifth from the bottom of his class and became a combat
aviator flying missions over North Vietnam during the Vietnam War.
The
self-proclaimed insubordinate and wise-cracker would prove his toughness nearly
a decade later.
On
Oct. 26, 1967, Mr. McCain’s A-4E Skyhawk was shot down by a missile over Nanoi
as he was flying his 23rd bombing mission over North Vietnam.
Ejecting from his aircraft, McCain whose arms and right knee were broken upon
his escape nearly drowned after he parachuted down into Truc Bach Lake.
McCain
was pulled to shore by North Vietnamese anti-aircraft soldiers that shot him
down and was transported to Hanoi’s main Hoa Lo Prison, nicknamed the “Hanoi
Hilton” on Dec. 9, 1969.
For
five-and-a-half years, Mr. McCain was inprisoned and tortured, which also
consisted of doing nearly three years in solitary confinement. The pertinent
information they got out of Mr. McCain that he was the son of a high-ranking
Navy officer.
While
he endured excruciating pain from the beating and brutal interrogations from
his captors, McCain refused his offer by his release by his captors.
Mr.
McCain returned to the U.S. along with his fellow captive POWs on Mar. 14,
1973, less than two months after the ceasefire from the Vietnamese went into
effect.
Those
brutal beating Mr. McCain sustained at the hands of the Vietnamese, his ability
to raise his arms above his head was lost despite doing extensive physical
therapy.
His
love for the country that he served grew stronger and viewed his battle as an
act of valor. For his bravery, McCain earned the Silver Star, Bronze Star,
Purple Heart and Distinguished Flying Cross. and he turn that love into his second calling,
politics.
“Few
of us have been tested the way John once was or required to show the kind of
courage that he did. But all of us can aspire to the courage to put the greater
good above our own,” former President Barack Obama said of his former Senate
colleague and 2008 campaign rival. “At John’s best he showed us what that
means. And for that, we are all in his debt. Michelle and I send our most
heartfelt condolences to Cindy and their family.”
In
his second act, Mr. McCain turned to politics. He ran for congress and was
elected to the House of Representatives in 1982 serving two terms. Four years
later he ran and was elected to the Senate, where he would serve five terms.
His
political career hit a serious roadblock in 1989 when he was the center of an
investigation by the FBI and the Senate Ethics Committee.
As
one of the “Keating Five,” McCain and Democratic Senators Dennis DeConcini of
Arizona, Allan Cranston of California, John Glenn of Ohio, and Don Riegle of Michigan
were accused of improper interference with federal regulators on Charles H.
Keating, Jr., a prominent donor, and chairman of a failed Lincoln Savings &
Loan Association.
Keating
was jailed on bank fraud charges and while Mr. McCain was cleared of any
charges, he would be declared by investigators that he exercised “poor
judgment” by meeting with the regulators and receiving $112,000 in lawful
political contributions and going on trips on Keating’s jets.
“His
honor was being questioned and that’s nothing that he takes lightly,” said Mark
Slater, McCain’s biographer, and co-author of his new memoir, “The Restless
Wave.”
Mr.
McCain would recover and continue serving Arizonans of the First District as
their Senator. He would also make a run for U.S. President twice.
“I
am not running for president to be somebody, but to do something,” McCain said
the first time he ran for the highest office in the country.
He
would lose out in the 2000 GOP primary to George W. Bush, who would go on to
become the 43rd President of the United States.
Eight
years later, Mr. McCain would try his hand again and this time won the
Republican nomination to become the 44th President of the country
against the Democratic nominee in Senator Obama (D-IL).
As
the GOP candidate he catapulted then Governor Sarah Palin (R-AK) to national
prominence.
During
his campaign, McCain won a reputation as a candidate of character where he did
not attack candidate-Obama on his race.
He
put that character on full display when he dismissed the claims from a
Lakeville, MN woman said at a town hall event saying that she read that
candidate Obama, proclaiming that he was not an American.
“I
can’t trust Obama. I have read about him and he’s an Arab,” were her words.
Then
candidate-McCain rebuked that claim by taking the microphone away and said, “No
ma’am.” “He’s a decent man, family man, citizen that I just happen to have
disagreements with on fundamental issues and that’s what this campaign is all
about. He’s not.”
In
the unfortunate shadow of an unpopular Republican incumbent in Mr. Bush and a
down economy McCain had issues building momentum and strike the proper tone.
That
was evident when he said at one point in the 2008 campaign, “The fundamentals
of our economy are strong.”
It
did not help that his running mate in Mrs. Palin was ill prepared for her
television interviews like when she could not answer about the last book she
read when she was asked that by then “CBS Evening News” anchor Katie Couric back in 2008.
That
Palin spent $150,000 dollars in campaign contributions on her clothes, hair,
and makeup.
Blunders
like allowed a resurgent Senate colleague from Illinois in Mr. Obama who made a
historic run to become the 44th president of the United States of
America.
Despite
falling for the second time, in his concession speech he talked about how Mr.
Obama being elected as the 44th President of the U.S. was very
significant and special to our nation. That moment a decade ago was the very
best for our nation and that what we were all about.
That
seems light years from the way we are today with all the racial tensions and
political discourse we are going through now, which our current leader in Mr.
Trump has fanned the flames of at times.
“What
I hope with his legacy [Mr. McCain’s] that it will not be just words and it
won’t be just platitude,” former Bloomberg Businessweek editor Megan Murphy
hopes of McCain’s legacy on “This Week.” “But we will all look inside of
ourselves to say, ‘How do we be more decent? How do we have more compassion.
How do we respect human dignity?” “Cause that’s what he was about.”
In
his “Maverick” form, McCain did not fade into darkness. He became the elder
statesmen for the Republican party. He stood on his own principles and never
caved in to party pressure.
He
was President Obama’s strongest critic on how his soft stance against ISIS and
puts blame on POTUS No. 44 for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s gassing of
his own people.
Mr.
McCain continued that strong stance against the current occupier of The White
House in President Trump, especially in the early stages of the 2016 campaign
when in 2015 candidate-Trump mocked McCain for being captured in Vietnam.
“He’s
not a war hero,” Trump said in taunting fashion at a rally. “He was a war hero
because he was captured. I like people who weren’t captured.”
Shortly
before Election Day 2016, Mr. McCain said that he would rather cast his vote
for president on any other Republican as he put it who’s “qualified to be
president.”
His
greatest act of defiance came in July 2017 where McCain fresh off brain surgery
where he had a noticeable scar above his left eye came into the chamber, faced
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) dramatically raised his right
hand and flipped his thumbs down signaling his No-vote on the GOP’s so-called
repeal and replacement of the Affordable Care Act, which then candidate-Trump
promised he would do.
Back
during the election, a very angry Trump without uttering McCain’s name said
that the only reason the Affordable Care Act, or as they have dubbed it
“Obamacare” still exists is because of him.
Just
weeks before his passing, Mr. Trump at New York’s upstate Fort Drum signed the
John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act into law and did not bother
to mention McCain’s name.”
“I’m
proud of the NDAA is now law and humbled Congress chose to designate it in my
name,” McCain tweeted out. “As chairman of the Armed Services Cmte, I’ve found
high purpose in service of a cause greater than self-the cause of our troops
who defend America & all that she stands for.”
In
response, Mr. McCain, who cast that vote nine days after being diagnosed with
brain cancer said, “I have faced tougher adversaries.”
In
May, McCain led an unsuccessful Senate effort against Mr. Trump’s nominee to
lead the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Gina Haspel because was a part of
the waterboarding interrogations of suspected terrorists during the Bush years.
For
as great as he was in the field of battle, on the stump during his campaigns
for Senate and twice for The White House, Senator McCain’s will likely be most
remembered for his fierce advocacy for the military and the veterans of it.
Over
the weekend, the United States of America lost a war hero. Citizens of the
First District of Arizona not lost their Senator of six terms. A wife lost her
husband of nearly four decades and seven children lost their father. On
Saturday, we all lost one of the most honorable human beings in Sen. John
Sidney McCain III (R-AZ) who had the ability to care for others before himself.
He was a leader who stood for his beliefs in service for this country in the
Navy and on Capitol Hill. He stood by and challenged his peers and opponents as
well as Republican ideals when it was necessary. Above all he was a leader who
did not just go along to get along and that working together is the only way to
deal with and solve the problems we face not just in the country but in an ever-growing
dangerous world.
Simply
put, the United States of America on Saturday lost a fighter, a “Maverick,” a
hero who spent his life in service to the country that he loved dearly.
“I’ve
had the good fortune to spend 60 years in service to this wonderous land,” Mr.
McCain said a little over a year ago. “It’s not been a perfect service to be
sure and there were probably times when the country might have benefited with a
little less of my help. But I tried to serve the privilege as best as I can and
I’ve been paid back a thousand times over with adventures. With good company.
With the satisfaction of serving something more important than myself. Of being
a bit player in the extraordinary story of America and I am so grateful.”
Information
and quotations are courtesy of 8/25/18 6 a.m. edition of WABC 7 “Eyewitness
News This Morning,” with Michelle Charlesworth, Rob Nelson, and weather anchor
Amy Freeze; 8/26/18 6 a.m. edition of WABC 7 “Eyewitness News Sunday Morning,”
with Michelle Charlesworth, Rob Nelson, and weather anchor Amy Freeze, with
report from Naveen Dhaliwal; 8/27/18 5 p.m. edition of WCBS New York, “CBS 2
News at 5 p.m.,” with Kristine Johnson, Maurice DuBois, and weather anchor
Lonnie Quinn, with report Alice Gainer; 8/26/18 10 a.m. edition of ABC News’
“This Week with George Stephanopoulos; 8/27/18 edition of
WABC 7 “Eyewitness News at 11,” with David Navarro, Sade Baderiwa, weather
anchor Lee Goldberg, and sports anchor Sam Ryan8/26/18 Newsday article “Sen. John McCain Dies at 81,” via The Washington Post and “The Making of
McCain,” via “The Associated Press;” 8/26/18 New York Daily News article, “Standing Up For All Americans; McCain
Fought from Vietnam to D.C.,” by Leonard Greene; 8/26/18 New York Post article, “Cancer Claims American Hero,” by Laura
Italiano; 8/27/18 People.com article, “Will Melania Trump Attend Sen. John
McCain’s Funeral? The White House Responds to Speculation?” by Jodi Guglielmi;
and https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_McCain.
