Thread by @swimmerbr78

Happy #JohhMcCainDay, everyone!

Most people know that John McCain was a Vietnam prisoner of war who later became a senator. But if you’d like to learn more about this man, read on in this THREAD.

John McCain graduated from the Naval Academy in 1958. From there he went to Pensacola, FL to train to become a naval aviator for 2 1/2 years. He completed flight school in 1960 and became a naval pilot of ground-attack aircraft.

On July 29, 1967, McCain was nearly killed during a freak fire aboard the USS Forrestal. 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. 134 sailors were killed

#JohhMcCainDay

McCain became a POW on October 26, 1967. He was flying his 23rd bombing mission over North Vietnam when his plane was shot down by a missile over Hanoi. McCain fractured both arms & a leg when he ejected from the aircraft, & nearly drowned after he parachuted into Trúc Bạch Lake

Some North Vietnamese pulled him ashore, then others crushed his shoulder with a rifle butt and bayoneted him. McCain was then transported to Hanoi's main Hỏa Lò Prison, nicknamed the "Hanoi Hilton".

#JohhMcCainDay

Although McCain was seriously wounded his captors refused to treat him. They beat & interrogated him to get information, & he was given medical care only when the N. Vietnamese discovered that his father was an admiral. His status as a POW made the front pages of American papers.

McCain spent 6 weeks in the hospital. He had lost 50 lbs & was in a chest cast. In Dec 1967 McCain was placed in a cell with 2 other Americans who did not expect him to live more than a week. In March 1968, McCain was placed into solitary confinement where he remained for 2 years

In 1968, his father John S. McCain Jr. was named commander of all U.S. forces in Vietnam, & the N Vietnamese offered McCain early release b/c they wanted to appear merciful for propaganda purposes & also to show other POWs that elite prisoners were willing to be treated special

McCain refused repatriation unless every man taken in before him was also released. Such early release was prohibited by the POWs' interpretation of the military Code of Conduct which states “I will accept neither parole nor special favors from the enemy"

#JohhMcCainDay

Starting in Aug 1968, McCain was subjected to a program of severe torture. He was bound & beaten every 2 hours; this occurred at the same time that he was suffering from heat & dysentery. Eventually McCain came to "the point of suicide", but his attempt was interrupted by guards.

Eventually, McCain made an anti-U.S. propaganda "confession". He had always felt that his statement was dishonorable, but as he later wrote, "I had learned what we all learned over there: every man has his breaking point. I had reached mine."

#JohhMcCainDay

Many U.S. POWs were tortured and maltreated in order to extract "confessions" and propaganda statements; virtually all of them eventually yielded something to their captors. McCain received 2 to 3 beatings weekly because of his continued refusal to sign additional statements.

McCain was a POW in N Vietnam for 5 1/2 years until his release on March 14, 1973. His wartime injuries left him permanently incapable of raising his arms above his head. After the war, McCain returned to the site with his wife Cindy for closure.

#JohhMcCainDay

McCain retired from the Navy as a captain on April 1, 1981. His numerous military decorations and awards include the Silver Star, 2 Legion of Merits, Distinguished Flying Cross, 3 Bronze Star Medals, 2 Purple Hearts, 2 Navy & Marine Corps Commendation Medals, & the POW Medal.

-To be continued with McCain’s political career-

#JohhMcCainDay