John McCain Passes at 81
Arizona Sen. John McCain, a war hero who survived five years as a prisoner of war in Vietnam, served three decades in Congress and went on to become the Republican Party’s nominee for president in 2008, died Saturday. He was 81 years old.
In his last hours, McCain turned down further treatment, his family announced in a statement.
McCain was diagnosed with brain cancer in July 2017. Doctors discovered the tumor during a medical procedure to remove a blood clot from above his left eye. He remained upbeat after the diagnosis, flying back to Washington days after surgery with a large scar visible above his eye to partake in the Senate’s health care debate.
“I greatly appreciate the outpouring of support – unfortunately for my sparring partners in Congress, I’ll be back soon, so stand-by!” McCain tweeted on July 20 after his diagnosis.
On Friday, his family issued a statement saying,“Last summer, Senator John McCain shared with Americans the news our family already knew: he had been diagnosed with an aggressive glioblastoma, and the prognosis was serious. In the year since, John has surpassed expectations for his survival. But the progress of disease and the inexorable advance of age render their verdict.”
They added, “With his usual strength of will, he has now chosen to discontinue medical treatment.”
McCain’s wife, Cindy, tweeted that her “heart is broken” following her husband’s death.
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 the place he loved best.
Read the article in its entirety here-> Fox News
Fair winds and following seas, Captain McCain.
Category: Veterans in the news
RIP
Rest Well
Wish you would have retired a long time ago
Skip, I wonder how many here know that McCain’s failure to resign his Senate seat was a defiant and spiteful middle finger to the Republican voters of Arizona, to his Republican Senate colleagues and by extension, to all the conservative, Republican voters of this nation.
It was reported in Arizona that McCain had told Republican Governor Ducey that he would resign only if Ducey appointed McCain’s wife to fill his seat. Ducey refused and McCain responded with a big “F.U.” by keeping Arizona’s voters unrepresented until he died.
Self-indulgent to the end. Not surprised.
Fair Winds and Following Seas Captain. ~RIP~
RIP John McCain. You’ve earned your rest.
Rest in peace, sir.
He retired from the Navy and all of us are familiar with the suffering he endured for years as a POW. Rest in peace, Captain McCain.
HOOYAH CAPT JOHN MCCAIN, USN (Ret.) … son and grandson of a great American Navy Family.
May you be in heaven a half an hour before the devil knows that you are dead …
MCPO OUT
Fair winds and following seas shipmate. Thank you for your service.
The man who made Obama possible.
And who also tried to make his buddy, John Kerry, president. How many sailors at this site remember that McCain denounced his fellow sailors, the Swift Boat Veterans, as dishonest and dishonorable in his support of the treasonous Kerry?
Or, how McCain and Kerry effectively shut down the U.S. search for still living Vietnam POW’s and MIA’s, much to the dismay of the affected families?
When Kerry, another naval officer and Vietnam veteran, dies, how many will be wishing that weasel fair winds and following seas?
I know in the Merchant Marine community he won’t be missed. His constant and tireless efforts to get rid of the Jones Act had many people in the industry extremely pissed off for years.
McCain spent five years in the hellhole called the Hanoi Hilton after being shot down flying combat missions over Vietnam.
Kerry spent a few months on a swift boat trying to claim Purple Hearts over scratches, and then threw them out into stank ass hippie protest crowds.
One service gets my well wishes. The other….. well, not so much.
I still cannot understand that friendship between McCain and Kerry. As far as am concerned, McCain’s support of Kerry and his disrespect of fellow Navy combat veterans because they didn’t agree with him are inexcusable. At best it shows poor judgement and the inability to keep his mouth shut about things he knows nothing about.
McCain served in the Navy from 1958 until 1981, and spent the rest of it as a politician. Oh, by the way, did you know he was a POW for six years?
well…bye.
Thanks for your service.
thanks for nothing for your war mongering and faithlessness to veteran’s needs.
automata ad mortem
I am satisfied to have voted for him for President in 2008.
“…The noble Brutus
Hath told you Caesar was Ambitious,
If it were so, it was a grievous Fault,
And grieviously hath Caesar answer’d it.”
I voted for Sarah. He was just collaterally lucky. Peace be unto his family.
I pray he was as pain free as was medically possible at his last. There are others more deserving of my venom when their time comes.
Well put, HMC Ret…
Peace and comfort to his family.
People change as they age and an experience such as he incurred as a POW certainly had a lasting effect, These days they call it PTSD. The man had to have a big heart to forgive NVN for their treatment of POW’s, something I have never found it in my heart to do. But the accolades stop at that point and I think we all need to recognize the Naval aviator for his deeds up until he stopped being a Naval aviator. RIP Captain.
Club, On another site a former naval aviator pointed out that because of his extremely low academic standing in his Annapolis graduating class, he never would have been accepted for flight training had it not been for his father throwing his Flag weight around. That commenter went on to point out that McCain’s subsequent serial mishaps in naval aircraft demonstrated why he should never have been accepted for flight training.
You served long enough to see what family/flag/political influence can do for someone’s career. I only encountered that situation once in my short six years, but in that instance I saw it first hand. It was very real and very helpful to the screw-up soldier who was protected by it.
Poetrooper, as it turns out as an E-6 AF admin type I served on his father’s staff in J01, knew the father and met the mother once. Actually made a round trip from Hawaii to DC with him once. Was also there at Hickam when he got off the plane from Hanoi. His father was a fine man and did what any father would do. I did the same for shit for brains my step-son regarding the Air Force and he made me proud. I think McCain also had something to do with a major explosion on board his carrier. Regardless, unlike Bush who was also a single seat fighter pilot, McCain paid his dues and we owe him our respect for that service despite his track record as a civilian. There is strong evidence he was not playing with a full deck in civilian life. Married to a very attractive blond, younger than him, whose daddy owned a beer distributorship and he spent his time in DC rather than on a beach with her and her daddy’s money.
“Married to a very attractive blond, younger than him, whose daddy owned a beer distributorship” Isn’t that the common dream of every heterosexual American male?
“and he spent his time in DC rather than on a beach with her and her daddy’s money.” That alone is proof of mental instability and should disqualify anyone from election and gun ownership.
I was once a fan of McCain. Right up until he took that “maverick” label too seriously and was contrary just for the sake of being contrary. Term limits. Now.
“I think McCain also had something to do with a major explosion on board his carrier.”
That is incorrect. Regardless of what anyone thinks of him or his politics, John McCain had nothing to do with the initiation of the fire aboard USS FORRESTAL (CV-59) on 29 July 1967. That is a false accusation that has been going around for decades, and it is simply not true.
Our TAH colleague Atkron wrote an outstanding Guest Post here at TAH on 26 October 2017 that clearly lays out the facts surrounding the fire aboard USS FORRESTAL:
‘Guest post; John McCain and the USS Forrestal fire’
https://valorguardians.com/blog/?p=75575
John McCain may have been a lot of things to a lot of different people, but he was certainly not responsible for the fire aboard USS FORRESTAL.
” spent his time in DC rather than on a beach with her and her daddy’s money.”
Some people enjoy basking in the sun on a beach, others would rather bask in the ego stroking and sycophancy that goes with being a politician and war hero in DC. By the way, did you know he spent six years as a POW?
Wow, that was fast since the earlier announcement that he was stopping treatment.
Prayers and condolences to his family, may they find peace and solace in a difficult time.
Glad I wasn’t the only one that noticed that. I think it was entirely bullshit because the family was releasing press releases about it. Who does that. Also who refuses to resign their representative position while dying and being unable to do the job given to them?
Men of Old School Honor.
Guess you missed that class.
Old School Honor? You mean like shopping a fake dossier of made-up “intel” to help boost a coup against a legitimately elected president? Or promising to vote to repeal Obamacare then voting to save it? Please compile a list of all such places that you learned about the concept of “honor”, so that I may likewise avoid them.
You mean Men of Old School Egotism. The honorable thing would have been to put the interests of your constituents ahead of your own ego.
RIP Capt., And when you meet Sr. inside the pearly gates, ask him about the time he chewed our asses out after we didn’t salute his passing staff car after we left the Trade winds EM club, Norfolk NOB.
He’s more valuable to us dead than alive. Now AZ gets to hopefully elect a conservative to represent them in Kongress.
Rest well, Sir.
Thank you for your toughness and sacrifice in the face of the enemy.
It seems that many have forgotten that.
Respect and honor are something that many have forgotten.
Thank you Green Thumb. Honor is a rare virtue that those who have never had to stand their ground on pure principle, no matter the pain, calumny nor abuse will never understand. I could give a shit whether he as a liberal democrat or a ultra conservative. The man was highly principled and devoted to his country like few we have ever seen. He and the late Mike Boorda are my personal heroes and at my age, that’s not likely to change.
Well Dan, your “hero” unceremoniously dumped his crippled wife who had stood by him through his POW trials and tribulations for a younger, hotter, trophy wife who just happened to have the family wealth to finance his political ambitions.
Your “hero” colluded with his pal, John Kerry, to bring a halt to the American search for still-living POW’s and MIA’s in Vietnam, even in the face of strong evidence that there were men left behind, curtly dismissing the concerns and hopes of the families of those lost warriors.
Your “hero” in 2004 turned on his fellow sailors, the Swift Boat Veterans, and publicly denounced those honorable warriors as “dishonest and dishonorable,” to protect a treacherous frickin’ weasel like his buddy, John Kerry.
You say honor is a rare virtue. I’d say in the case of your “hero” it was so rare as to be nonexistent.
Well said, Poe, very well said.
Funny that the press etc hasn’t mentioned him being one of the Keating Five. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keating_Five
No, we have not forgotten, and we appreciate it. We just know that it is not the sum total of his existence. One reason I don’t belong to veteran’s groups anymore is the pitiful sight of pathetic old men whose entire life revolves around the year(s) they wore a uniform.
I am reminded of the story about the gunner on a man-o-war of the Napoleonic era. A storm was approaching, and the Captain gave orders to prepare for it, securing all equipment for heavy weather. The gunner, in charge of a two-ton cannon, was lazy and did a perfunctory job.
The storm hit, and eventually the cannon worked loose and started sliding across the deck, back and forth, smashing into the hull on each roll.
The Captain, knowing that sooner or later the loose cannon would hole the side of the ship, sinking it, asked for volunteers to secure the cannon.
Several attempts were made to secure the cannon, resulting only in dead and injured sailors. Finally, the Gunner himself managed to secure the cannon, saving the ship.
Finally the storm abated, damage was repaired, and the dead and injured taken care of. The Captain then held a Captain’s Mast to honor the Gunner for saving the ship, presenting him with a medal and commendation for risking his life. After three cheers were given for the Gunner’s actions, the Captain held another Mast. At this one the Gunner was tried and convicted of dereliction of duty and hung from the yardarm, medal and all.
And I will ask again, should Benedict Arnold, a certified war hero, be condemned as a traitor?
1 “Aw Shit” negates all previous “attaboy’s” at that level.
Saint McCain is gone. How will society continue. I can’t believe this guy refusing to resign in his last action of defiance towards the United States. Now he gets a state funeral because it’s all about McCain.
When George Soros tweets something nice about about somebody that died that says everything that needs to be said.
Now he gets to hang out with his good buddy Ted Kennedy.
Who died on the same day nine years ago.
That is water under the bridge.
Or, off to one side, anyway.
Good one…
Interesting irony that apparently McCain was hugely influenced by Earnest Hemingway… go back and re-read ex-PH2’s May 10th “What Fools These Liberals Be” or some of the more recent comments on Hemingway. Hate to see anyone die like this, but was not enamored of McCain the public figure. I’ll leave it at that.
Wouldn’t wish POW and/or brain cancer on anyone. Except Jane Fonda and John Kerry.
May not make me a very nice guy, sj, but I agree with you. I can’t even make myself type that skank’s name.
Apologies to most skanks out there.
As for J effing K, please suck a LARGE bag o’ dicks.
^LIKE^
The next 2 above.
Did any of you oh so virtuous souls actually send those heartfelt messages of sympathy, sorrow, and respect, to the family? Or just here, to prove how sensitive, caring, and respectful, you are?