Objective analysis points to a simple fact: John McCain is not a hero. A close examination of his history indicates a parallel to George W. Bush Jr. and not in a flattering manner. Both had fathers who continually bailed them out from trouble and these sons took ready advantage of their fathers’ reputations to achieve unearned status.
*McCain earned an extraordinary amount of demerits at the Naval Academy, but was allowed to graduate 5th from the bottom of his class.
*He crashed an aircraft in Naval flight training which mandated expulsion, but McCain was allowed to complete the course.
*McCain ran into power lines on the Iberian Peninsula while deployed to the Mediterranean causing a second crash without repercussion.
*Oddly enough, he was made an Instructor Pilot upon return to Pensacola, Florida, and proceeded to lose another aircraft while flying to the Army-Navy football game. The Navy rewarded him by assigning to the carrier, USS Forrestal.
*McCain lost his fourth jet on July 29, 1967, when a rocket slammed into his fully loaded jet killing 134 sailors. He escaped injury, according to some by immediately going below while others battled the flames. Oddly enough, McCain took it upon himself to simply leave the Forrestal without notifying his superiors to party in Tokyo. The Benevolent Navy took no action against him and transferred the erring pilot to the USS Oriskany.
*He lost his fifth jet after being shot down over North Vietnam and captured on October 26, 1967.
*According to an article written by him for the U.S. News and World Report, May 14, 1973, ...”After being periodically slapped around for “three or four days” by his captors who wanted military information from him, McCain called for an officer on his fourth day of captivity. He told the officer, “O.K., I’ll give you military information if you will take me to the hospital.” Not only was this a violation of the Uniform Code of Military Justice and the Code of Conduct, but can be viewed as collaboration with the enemy.
A surgeon was flown in from Moscow and McCain accepted preferential medical treatment at a hospital near Gia Lam airport reserved for Vietnamese officers. No other POW received the same which again violated the UCMJ and Code of Conduct.
*According to sources and McCain in his autobiography, specific military information was given such as the carrier he flew from, number of pilots lost, specific flight information and rescue units currently available. Apparently, he did this to gain medical attention.
*Retired Army Colonel Earl Hopper states McCain told his captors "highly classified information, the most important of which was the package routes, which were routes used to bomb North Vietnam. He gave in detail the altitude they were flying, the direction, if they made a turn...he gave them what primary targets the United States was interested in." Hopper further contends this information allowed the North Vietnamese to adjust their air defenses and subsequently the US lost sixty percent more aircraft resulting in the curtailment of North Vietnam bombing. All this was due, Hopper states, because of the information McCain divulged.
*McCain participated in propaganda films and radio broadcasts aimed at American troops. According to the Saigon UPI, June 4, 1969: “Reds say POW Songbird is Pilot Son of Admiral...Hanoi has aired a broadcast in which the pilot son of United States Commander in the Pacific Adm. John McCain purportedly admits to having bombed civilian targets in North Vietnam and praises medical treatment he has received since being taken prisoner.” He had earned the nickname “Songbird” from his captors.
*He talks often of torture, but did not transfer to the Hanoi Hilton until December, 1969. According to the Phoenix New Times, March 25, 1999, Two former POWs, Air Force Colonels Ted Guy and George “Swede” Larson, said in a feature article they could not guarantee that McCain was not physically harmed, (but) they doubted it. Both Guy and Larson were senior ranking officers (SROs) in McCain’s POW camp at a time he claims he was in solitary confinement and being tortured.
*Larson told the New Times, “Between the two of us, it’s our belief, and to the best of our knowledge, that no prisoner was beaten or harmed physically in that camp (known as ‘The Plantation’). My only contention the the McCain deal is that while he was at the Plantation, to the best of my knowledge and Ted’s knowledge, he was not physically abused in any way. No one was in that camp. It was the camp that people were released from.”
*McCain bases his hero myth on the contention he refused to be released unless everyone was. Sources state this was not a big deal since McCain was ordered by Senior Officers to state this. Secondly, former Rep. Bob Dornan (CA) states transcripts exist from former POWs reacting to McCain’s collaboration negatively. According to Dornan, McCain has always been afraid these transcripts would turn up particularly during a presidential campaign. Dornan offered another reason why McCain refused release by the North Vietnamese. He said those released first were collaborators, which McCain was one, and this would have ended not only his military career and hurt the Navy, but would impact his father also.
*McCain has actively opposed the efforts of MIA/POW activists and according to witnesses, physically attacked at least one. He has rudely interrupted hearings to berate MIA/POW family members and has worked religiously to curtail any POW information being released either from the government, any POWs or their family members. It seems rather odd he would take these positions, but he has been no friend of Veterans as well. McCain voted against 27 Veterans bills indicated by his record, but falsely states support for Veterans. He simply does not consider Veterans a priority much less MIA/POWs, but brags of his support.
*He returned from captivity to his wife, Carol, who was in a wheel chair from a car accident. He desired a coveted Admiral slot and the Navy assisted by reinstating him to flight duty in lieu of his disabilities. McCain assumed an Executive Officer, Replacement Air Group 174 position, which trained pilots and crews for deployment. While Executive Officer and later Commander, McCain authorized flights allowing him to mingle with subordinates and engage in extra-marital affairs again violating the Uniform Code of Military Justice regarding adultery and fraternizing with subordinates. The Navy, however, continued the tradition of excusing McCain from penalties and he got away with it.
*Robert Timbert, author of The Nightingale’s Song, wrote: “Off duty, usually on routine cross-country flights to Yuma and El Centro, John (McCain) started carousing and running around with women. To make matters worse, some of the women with whom he was linked by rumor were subordinates...At the time the rumors were so widespread that, true or not, they became part of McCain’s persona, impossible not to take note of.” The Navy overlooked his behavior and excused him from any discipline.
It seems apparent John McCain has contrived his own history and should be viewed as lacking sufficient character to hold the office of the Presidency or the Senate. His POW and Naval records need to be scrutinized for collaboration and other accountable acts. The truth needs to be ascertained prior to this man ascending to any higher office for to do otherwise would be looking the other way. This is exactly what caused the current problems with John McCain.
*McCain earned an extraordinary amount of demerits at the Naval Academy, but was allowed to graduate 5th from the bottom of his class.
*He crashed an aircraft in Naval flight training which mandated expulsion, but McCain was allowed to complete the course.
*McCain ran into power lines on the Iberian Peninsula while deployed to the Mediterranean causing a second crash without repercussion.
*Oddly enough, he was made an Instructor Pilot upon return to Pensacola, Florida, and proceeded to lose another aircraft while flying to the Army-Navy football game. The Navy rewarded him by assigning to the carrier, USS Forrestal.
*McCain lost his fourth jet on July 29, 1967, when a rocket slammed into his fully loaded jet killing 134 sailors. He escaped injury, according to some by immediately going below while others battled the flames. Oddly enough, McCain took it upon himself to simply leave the Forrestal without notifying his superiors to party in Tokyo. The Benevolent Navy took no action against him and transferred the erring pilot to the USS Oriskany.
*He lost his fifth jet after being shot down over North Vietnam and captured on October 26, 1967.
*According to an article written by him for the U.S. News and World Report, May 14, 1973, ...”After being periodically slapped around for “three or four days” by his captors who wanted military information from him, McCain called for an officer on his fourth day of captivity. He told the officer, “O.K., I’ll give you military information if you will take me to the hospital.” Not only was this a violation of the Uniform Code of Military Justice and the Code of Conduct, but can be viewed as collaboration with the enemy.
A surgeon was flown in from Moscow and McCain accepted preferential medical treatment at a hospital near Gia Lam airport reserved for Vietnamese officers. No other POW received the same which again violated the UCMJ and Code of Conduct.
*According to sources and McCain in his autobiography, specific military information was given such as the carrier he flew from, number of pilots lost, specific flight information and rescue units currently available. Apparently, he did this to gain medical attention.
*Retired Army Colonel Earl Hopper states McCain told his captors "highly classified information, the most important of which was the package routes, which were routes used to bomb North Vietnam. He gave in detail the altitude they were flying, the direction, if they made a turn...he gave them what primary targets the United States was interested in." Hopper further contends this information allowed the North Vietnamese to adjust their air defenses and subsequently the US lost sixty percent more aircraft resulting in the curtailment of North Vietnam bombing. All this was due, Hopper states, because of the information McCain divulged.
*McCain participated in propaganda films and radio broadcasts aimed at American troops. According to the Saigon UPI, June 4, 1969: “Reds say POW Songbird is Pilot Son of Admiral...Hanoi has aired a broadcast in which the pilot son of United States Commander in the Pacific Adm. John McCain purportedly admits to having bombed civilian targets in North Vietnam and praises medical treatment he has received since being taken prisoner.” He had earned the nickname “Songbird” from his captors.
*He talks often of torture, but did not transfer to the Hanoi Hilton until December, 1969. According to the Phoenix New Times, March 25, 1999, Two former POWs, Air Force Colonels Ted Guy and George “Swede” Larson, said in a feature article they could not guarantee that McCain was not physically harmed, (but) they doubted it. Both Guy and Larson were senior ranking officers (SROs) in McCain’s POW camp at a time he claims he was in solitary confinement and being tortured.
*Larson told the New Times, “Between the two of us, it’s our belief, and to the best of our knowledge, that no prisoner was beaten or harmed physically in that camp (known as ‘The Plantation’). My only contention the the McCain deal is that while he was at the Plantation, to the best of my knowledge and Ted’s knowledge, he was not physically abused in any way. No one was in that camp. It was the camp that people were released from.”
*McCain bases his hero myth on the contention he refused to be released unless everyone was. Sources state this was not a big deal since McCain was ordered by Senior Officers to state this. Secondly, former Rep. Bob Dornan (CA) states transcripts exist from former POWs reacting to McCain’s collaboration negatively. According to Dornan, McCain has always been afraid these transcripts would turn up particularly during a presidential campaign. Dornan offered another reason why McCain refused release by the North Vietnamese. He said those released first were collaborators, which McCain was one, and this would have ended not only his military career and hurt the Navy, but would impact his father also.
*McCain has actively opposed the efforts of MIA/POW activists and according to witnesses, physically attacked at least one. He has rudely interrupted hearings to berate MIA/POW family members and has worked religiously to curtail any POW information being released either from the government, any POWs or their family members. It seems rather odd he would take these positions, but he has been no friend of Veterans as well. McCain voted against 27 Veterans bills indicated by his record, but falsely states support for Veterans. He simply does not consider Veterans a priority much less MIA/POWs, but brags of his support.
*He returned from captivity to his wife, Carol, who was in a wheel chair from a car accident. He desired a coveted Admiral slot and the Navy assisted by reinstating him to flight duty in lieu of his disabilities. McCain assumed an Executive Officer, Replacement Air Group 174 position, which trained pilots and crews for deployment. While Executive Officer and later Commander, McCain authorized flights allowing him to mingle with subordinates and engage in extra-marital affairs again violating the Uniform Code of Military Justice regarding adultery and fraternizing with subordinates. The Navy, however, continued the tradition of excusing McCain from penalties and he got away with it.
*Robert Timbert, author of The Nightingale’s Song, wrote: “Off duty, usually on routine cross-country flights to Yuma and El Centro, John (McCain) started carousing and running around with women. To make matters worse, some of the women with whom he was linked by rumor were subordinates...At the time the rumors were so widespread that, true or not, they became part of McCain’s persona, impossible not to take note of.” The Navy overlooked his behavior and excused him from any discipline.
It seems apparent John McCain has contrived his own history and should be viewed as lacking sufficient character to hold the office of the Presidency or the Senate. His POW and Naval records need to be scrutinized for collaboration and other accountable acts. The truth needs to be ascertained prior to this man ascending to any higher office for to do otherwise would be looking the other way. This is exactly what caused the current problems with John McCain.
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