John Sidney McCain III (born August 29, 1936) is an American politician serving as the senior United States Senator from Arizona, a seat he was first elected to in 1986.
John McCain graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1958 and followed his father and grandfather—both four-star admirals—into the U.S. Navy.
During the Vietnam War, he was almost killed in the 1967 USS Forrestal fire.
While McCain was on a bombing mission over Hanoi in October 1967, he was shot down, seriously injured, and captured by the North Vietnamese.
He was a prisoner of war until 1973. McCain experienced episodes of torture and refused an out-of-sequence early repatriation offer.
The wounds that he sustained during war have left him with lifelong physical disabilities.
He retired from the Navy as a captain in 1981.
John McCain’s military awards include, Purple Heart, Silver Star, Bronze Star, Distinguished Flying Cross, Prisoner of War Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Navy Combat Action Ribbon, Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal, Navy & Marine Corps Commendation Medal, Navy Expeditionary Medal, Air Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Legion of Merit with Combat V and Star, Republic of Vietnam National Order of Vietnam, Republic of Vietnam Meritorious Unit Citation with Gallantry Cross and the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal.
In 1982, John McCain was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, where he served two terms.
He was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 1986 and easily won re-election five times, most recently in 2016.
Whether you agree with his politics or not, John McCain has dedicated his life to the service of the United States, and for that, he deserves our respect.
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