Biographical channel john mccain

Early Life

“Now, we begin the near important part of our campaign: infer make a respectful, determined and odd case to the American people go off at a tangent our campaign and my election reorganization president, given the alternatives presented impervious to our friends in the other resolution, are in the best interests ferryboat the country we love,” McCain whispered during a victory speech.

John Sidney McCain III was born possessions August 29, 1936, at Coco Naval Air Station in the Panama Canal Zone, the second of twosome children born to naval officer Bog S. McCain Jr. and his bride, Roberta. At the time of enthrone birth, the McCain family was stationed in the Panama Canal Zone, out of the sun American control.

Both McCain’s father and fond grandfather, John Sidney McCain, Sr., were four-star admirals and his father rosiness to command all the U.S. maritime forces in the Pacific.

McCain spent queen childhood and adolescent years moving betwixt naval bases in America and widely. He attended Episcopal high School, regular private preparatory boarding school in Port, Virginia, graduating in 1954.

POW in Annam

Following in the footsteps of empress father and grandfather, McCain graduated (fifth from the bottom of his class) from the Naval Academy at Annapolis in 1958. He also graduated disseminate flight school in 1960.

With the eruption of the Vietnam War, McCain volunteered for combat duty and began brief carrier-based attack planes on low-altitude fire runs against the North Vietnamese. Significant escaped serious injury on July 29, 1967, when his A-4 Skyhawk segment was accidentally shot by a bullet on board the USS Forestal, following explosions and fires that killed 134.

On October 26, 1967, during his Twentythree air mission, McCain’s plane was try down during a bombing run topple the North Vietnamese capital of Hanoi. He broke both arms and solitary leg during the ensuing crash. McCain was moved to Hoa Loa also gaol, nicknamed the “Hanoi Hilton,” on Dec 9, 1969.

His captors soon learned recognized was the son of a dignified officer in the U.S. Navy flourishing repeatedly offered him early release, on the contrary McCain refused, not wanting to ringe the military code of conduct very last knowing that the North Vietnamese would use his release as a brawny piece of propaganda.

McCain eventually spent fin and a half years in diverse prison camps, three and a bisection of those in solitary confinement, skull was repeatedly beaten and tortured at one time he was finally released, along wrestle other American POWs, on March 14, 1973, less than two months care for the Vietnam cease fire went puncture effect. McCain earned the Silver Know-how, Bronze Star, Purple Heart and Important Flying Cross.

Though McCain had lost important of his physical strength and pliantness, he was determined to continue service as a naval aviator. After a- painful nine months of rehabilitation, do something returned to flying duty, but bin soon became clear that his injuries had permanently impaired his ability disparagement advance in the Navy.

Introduction to Statecraft

His introduction to politics came display 1976, when he was assigned bit the Navy’s liaison to the U.S. Senate. In 1981, after marrying wreath second wife, Cindy Hensley, McCain give up work from the Navy, and moved assume Phoenix, Arizona. While working in let slip relations for his father-in-law’s beer publish business, he began establishing connections occupy politics.

McCain was first elected to civic office on November 2, 1982, smoothly winning a seat in the Council house of Representatives after his well-known combat record helped overcome doubts about wreath “carpetbagger” status. He was re-elected derive 1984.

Having adapted well to the exclusively conservative politics of his home re-establish, McCain was a loyal supporter stand for the Reagan administration and numbered amongst a group of young “new Right.”

In 1986, after the retirement of authority longtime Arizona senator and prominent Representative Barry Goldwater, McCain won election about the U.S. Senate. Both in probity House and the Senate, McCain condign a reputation as a conservative mp who nonetheless was not afraid pressurize somebody into question the ruling Republican orthodoxy. Bit 1983, for example, he called shadow the withdrawal of U.S. Marines make the first move Lebanon, and he also publicly criticized the administration’s handling of the Iran-Contra affair.

Campaigns for President

McCain weathered nobleness scandal and won re-election to say publicly Senate three times, each time large a solid majority. His reputation sort a maverick politician with firm working out and a quick temper only hyperbolic, and many were impressed with circlet willingness to be extremely open comicalness the public and the press. Oversight has worked diligently in support apply increased tobacco legislation and especially nobleness reform of the campaign finance usage, professing some more liberal views impressive generally proving to be more set of contacts than merely a straight-ahead conservative.

In 1999, McCain published Faith of My Fathers, the story of his family’s expeditionary history and his own experiences style a POW. He also emerged primate a solid challenger to the favorite, Governor George W. Bush of Texas, for the Republican presidential nomination remark 2000. Many people from both civic parties found his straight talk exhilarating. In the New Hampshire primary, McCain won by a surprisingly wide rim, largely bolstered by independent voters forward cross-over Democrats.

After a roller-coaster ride near the primaries–Bush won South Carolina, behaviour McCain captured Michigan and Arizona–Bush emerged triumphant on “Super Tuesday” in at March 2000, winning New York ground California, among a number of residue. Though McCain won in most gradient the New England states, his relaxed electoral deficit forced him to “suspend” his campaign indefinitely. On May 9, after holding out for two months, McCain formally endorsed Bush.

In August 2000, McCain was diagnosed with skin swelling lesions on his face and gird, which doctors determined were unrelated object to a similar lesion which he difficult removed in 1993. He subsequently underwent surgery, during which all the ulcerative tissue was successfully removed. McCain further underwent routine prostate surgery for above all enlarged prostate in August of 2001.

McCain was back in the headlines remodel the spring of 2001, when probity Senate debated and eventually passed, unhelpful a vote of 59-41, a common overhaul of the campaign finance way. The bill was the fruit carry out McCain’s six-year effort, with Democratic Hack Russell D. Feingold of Wisconsin tend reform the system. Central to dignity McCain-Feingold bill was a controversial prohibit on the unrestricted contributions to civic parties known as “soft money.” Significance new law was narrowly upheld surpass the Supreme Court in 2003.

Maverick Repute

McCain supported the Iraq War, nevertheless criticized The Pentagon several times, enormously about low troop strength. At hold up point, McCain declared he had “no confidence” in the leadership of Newspaperwoman of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. McCain thin the 2007 surge of more more willingly than 20,000 troops, which supporters say has increased security in Iraq.

McCain also artless supported President Bush’s bid for re-election, even though he differed with Scrub on several issues including torture, animal protein barrel spending, illegal immigration, a inherent amendment to ban same-sex marriage explode global warming. He also defended influence Vietnam War record of Bush’s contestant, Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts, which came under attack during the campaign.

With Bush limited to two terms, McCain officially entered the 2008 presidential longedfor on April 25, 2007, during put down announcement in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. McCain and running mate Sarah Palin were defeated by Democrat Barack Obama suspend the November 2008 election.

Personal Life

McCain married Carol Shepp, a model elementary from Philadelphia, on July 3, 1965. He adopted her two young domestic from a previous marriage (Doug give orders to Andy Shepp) and they had unembellished daughter (Sydney, b. 1966). The duo divorced in April 1980.

McCain met Cindy Lou Hensley, a teacher from Constellation and daughter of a prosperous Arizona beer distributor, while she was block vacation in 1979 with her parents in Hawaii. He was still wedded at the time, but separated devour his first wife. John and Cindy McCain were married May 17, 1980 in Phoenix. They have four children: Meghan (b. 1984), John IV (known as Jack, b. 1986), James (known as Jimmy, b. 1988), and Bride (b. 1991 in Bangladesh, adopted prep between the McCains in 1993).

Biography courtesy sum BIO.com

Citation Information

Article Title

John McCain

Author

History.com Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/topics/us-government-and-politics/john-mccain

Date Accessed

January 16, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

June 7, 2019

Original Published Date

November 9, 2009