John McCain Dies at 81
Saturday, August 25, 2018
John McCain, Naval Academy grad, Vietnam POW, U.S. Senator and the GOP Presidential nominee, is dead at 81-years-old.
McCain died of brain cancer on Saturday.
"It's been quite a ride. I've known great passions, seen amazing wonders, fought in a war, and helped make peace," McCain wrote. "I've lived very well and I've been deprived of all comforts. I've been as lonely as a person can be and I've enjoyed the company of heroes. I've suffered the deepest despair and experienced the highest exultation.
"I made a small place for myself in the story of America and the history of my times."
In July, Rob Horowitz, GoLocalProv MINDSETTER™ wrote:
The novelist David Foster Wallace in a non-fiction piece he wrote about the 2000 campaign said John McCain “acts somewhat in the ballpark of the way a real human being would act.” Senator McCain’s public reaction to the devastating news that he has an aggressive form of brain cancer was vintage McCain. He tweeted, “, "I greatly appreciate the outpouring of support — unfortunately for my sparring partners in Congress, I'll be back soon, so stand-by!"
While not immune to political calculation, such as his marked move to the right to fend off a primary challenge in his most recent re-election campaign, we have grown accustomed to his candid, sometimes irascible, but usually brave and constructive voice in our national politics. Throughout a more than 30 year career in politics, John McCain has lived up to the slogan of his 2008 Presidential campaign, putting “country first.”
The Naval Academy graduate was first introduced to the nation as a prisoner of war in Vietnam, where he rejected an offer to be released early by his North Vietnamese captors because his father was an American Admiral, denying the enemy a propaganda victory and doing so despite being severely tortured. McCain spent 51/2 long years under the worst kind of conditions and was left with permanent painful wounds. Yet, as a Senator, he was instrumental in normalizing relations with Vietnam because he believed it was in the national interest.
READ MORE ABOUT MCCAIN BELOW
"The unsuccessful White House bids were spotlight moments in a long political career that began with his election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1982. After two terms, McCain ascended to the U.S. Senate in 1987, replacing legendary Republican U.S. Sen. Barry Goldwater, who in 1964 was the only other Arizonan to top the national ticket of a major U.S. political party. McCain was re-elected to the Senate in 1992, 1998, 2004, 2010 and 2016. He became Arizona’s senior senator in 1995 and chairman of the influential Armed Services Committee in 2015," writes USA Today.
U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), the Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, issued the following statement on the passing of Chairman John McCain (R-AZ):
“I am deeply saddened by the loss of my friend and colleague, John McCain. John endured much, contributed much, and is much loved by those who know him and those who know what he stands for.
“As a young naval aviator, he was shot down, tortured, and mistreated – but his spirit was never broken. Through a lifetime of service, he bore the scars of war, politics, and cancer, but never gave in to despair. He was strengthened by trials and ordeals that would have overcome lesser men. And I think some of his darkest, most difficult experiences gave him an even greater love for our democracy and American values.
“John McCain’s devotion to duty and sheer determination are inspiring. He took on challenges with a sense of urgency and fearlessness.
“He lived intensely, could be impatient, and short-tempered. Yet he was always willing to reach out to friend or foe alike. From campaign finance reform to promoting reconciliation and normalization between the United States and Vietnam, Senator McCain made it his mission to serve others and was unyielding in pursuit of his objectives.
“America lost a true patriot and one of the most unique, hard-charging legislators in modern American history. I have lost a colleague I am proud to call my friend and Chairman. I will miss his good-natured jabs at West Point, his fierce independence, and wise counsel.
“Even though we found ourselves on opposite ends of many debates, I always admired Senator McCain for his courage, candor, and commitment to serving the public, not just narrow interests.
“At a time when divisiveness is too often deployed for short-term political gain, John valued patriotism over partisanship. He understood the importance of working together – and that by moving forward together we can achieve lasting progress.
“I had an opportunity to travel to Vietnam with John a few years ago. We visited the spot where he was shot down outside Hanoi. Senator McCain recounted how, after the missile sent his plane into the waters of Truc Bach Lake, and with both his arms and leg badly broken, he had to use his teeth to inflate his life vest to keep from drowning. Ever resourceful, ever determined, John McCain personified perseverance and toughness throughout his life.
“There is a saying that a truly great warrior fights ‘not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him.’ For John McCain that was his family, the people of Arizona, and the United State of America. He will forever be a proud, beaming father and grandfather. Thank you to his wife, Cindy, his mother, Roberta, and the entire McCain clan for their generations of dedicated service, for shaping John, sharing him with us, and keeping his spirit alive.
“John once said his lasting ambition in life was to earn the approval of his father and grandfather – both highly-decorated, accomplished Admirals and patriots – and surely his lifetime of distinguished service would make any family proud.”
