Image above: John McCain (1936 - 25 August 2018) War hero and politician.
A link to our days in Hanoi
In the news today I am sure you have heard about Senator John McCain and his death yesterday. John McCain was an outstanding US politician for many years in the American Senate and in recent years he was one of the most outspoken critics of President Trump. What is the link with our trip I hear you say?
Senator John McCain was a US Navy pilot in the Vietnam War and was shot down over Hanoi in October 1967 (in one of the lakes in Hanoi). With both arms and left leg severely fractured he inflated his life vest using his teeth - these were lifelong injuries. He was then dragged from the lake and beaten before being taken for interrogation.
Image above: Senator John McCain is pulled out of a Hanoi lake by North Vietnamese army soldiers and civilians on Oct. 26, 1967.
Only after the North Vietnamese found out that his father (as was his Grandfather) was an Admiral in the US Navy did he receive treatment and care. In fact, his father was named Commander-in-Chief, Pacific Command whilst John McCain was in solitary confinement. He was taken prisoner and endured 5 years in the infamous Hilton prison that we visit on our last day in Hanoi. This prison is often referred to as the "Hanoi Hilton" - an example of black humour, it is a horrible place as you will see.
Image above: The prison we visit in Hanoi where John McCain spent 5 years years, two in solitary confinement.
The display we see in the prison depicts the prison as some sort of happy resort for prisoners - not the case at all! When pressed for information and names of his fellow service members, McCain instead gave them the names of the Green Bay Packers’ offensive line. One must admire his grit during this time because the North Vietnamese offered McCain to be released ahead of other prisoners, in an attempt to show the world that they were merciful, and also to prove to other prisoners that high-ranking officials would always receive preferential treatment. Staying true to the military Code of Conduct, McCain refused the special treatment, and as a result, was severely beaten for several years for declining the offer. He was finally released on March 14, 1973.
Image above: Receiving a medal from President Nixon after his release from the Hanoi prison in 1973
He is certainly considered a war hero due the way he dealt with his terrible imprisonment over a long period - his service before 1967 is quite a read as well.
Image above: Lieutenant McCain (front right) with his squadron and T-2 Buckeye trainer, 1965
As a measure of the man, in 2000 as a Senator in the US Government John McCain returned to Vietnam and visited the lake he crashed into and the prison he was incarcerated. Over the years he became a strong advocate for normalising ties between Communist Vietnam and the United States. During his visit in 2000 he said:
"I put the Vietnam War behind me a long time ago," he said. "I harbor no anger, no rancor."
John McCain retired as a Captain in the US Navy in 1981. In civilian life John McCain was elected to the US House of Representatives in 1982 and then the US Senate in 1987. Although a Republican and conservative in nature, McCain gained a reputation for being outspoken, often disagreeing with his party on a variety of issues. In 2008 he ran for the US Presidency and was defeated by Barrack Obama - after that he continued to serve as a Senator until his death. Click here to see the copious legislative reforms he was involved in during his 36 years as a serving politician. In fact, only last year he struggled into the Senate after punishing treatment for his brain cancer (2 weeks after the operation) to vote against the attempts to get rid of the health care (Obamacare) brought in by President Obama.
Regardless of your politics, John McCain must be admired as a war hero, man of principle and servant of the people as a politician. He certainly did not deserve Donald Trump saying during the 2015 Presidential campaign about John McCain that:
“He’s not a war hero. He’s a war hero because he was captured. I like people who weren’t captured.”
Read what you can about this amazing man - it will make your visit to the "Hanoi Hilton" on 11 October even more poignant and meaningful.
Vale John McCain
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