Mccain, John (1936–)

The public ethos of Senator John S. McCain III (R-AZ) as a straight shooter has been shaped most principally by two events: his time as a prisoner of war and the savings and loan scandal of the 1980s. McCain entered the Navy and flew fighters during the Vietnam War. On October 26, 1967, he was shot down over Hanoi, breaking a knee and both arms but landing in a small lake. McCain spent more than 5 years in prison, 2 of those in solitary confinement, and he was repeatedly interrogated under torture. He refused the preferential treatment or early release offered by his captors, who were trying to propagandize on McCain's lineage as the son and grandson of Navy admirals. Finally released with his comrades ...