John McCain Has Died, But the Memory of Him Has Remained

Every day many people die in the world, the deaths of some remain unnoticed for the public, while the deaths of others leave a deep trace of memory and sorrow in the hearts and minds of the mourners, of those people who knew these prominent people personally or only read about them somewhere in the press. The death of John McCain did not come as a surprise; as he struggled with a serious illness, but the life, words, and deeds of this man deserve respect and their detailed description.

McCain’s Early Life and School Years

John Sydney McCain III was born on August 29, 1936 at the US Naval Base Coco Solo in the Panama Canal Zone. This land was among the unincorporated territories of the United States in those times. McCain’s father was a junior officer in the Pacific Fleet of the United States at that time, while McCain’s grandfather was a naval pilot. John McCain’s father and grandfather served their fatherland faithfully – they fought against the Indians, fought with the British for independence, took part in the civil war on the side of the Confederacy and bravely served during the World War I. As a result, McCain’s military relatives brought up the boy rigorously and fairly.

Little John often changed his place of residence by moving with his parents. Summer was a great time for the boy’s development on a family plantation, but the military career of his relatives inclined the boy much more to feats and conquests than to farming. There were many different schools in different parts of the United States in McCain’s life. Naturally, a boy, who was calm in his early childhood, was forced to show the strength of his character at each new location for the purpose of gain popularity and respect among peers.

McCain’s Student’s Life

After school, McCain’s destiny was predetermined in advance and he entered the naval academy. It was the only possible choice for the descendant of such famous ancestors. McCain was not an ideal student because he was always ready to break the rules and follow his ideas. Moreover, McCain’s father had to intercede for his son before the leadership of the Academy several times, but even this fact did not break the disobedience of the young man. Despite the lack of discipline and a very militant character, John was always popular among his peers.

John McCain’s academic successes were rather low because the young man liked and understood technical sciences, as well as History, government and English literature, but hated to complete different assignments. According to McCain’s memories about his student’s years, he mentioned that although he ignored many informal rules of the academy, he never questioned the truly important traditions such as honor, courage, resilience, and readiness to make sacrifices for the sake of the fatherland. In his own words, he wanted to prove to his father and grandfather that he deserved to be called their descendant.

Where Were the Roots of McCain’s Power of Character?

McCain’s life and career development were not easy because he was a prisoner of the Vietnamese and for more than five years experienced hardships and mockery. Years of captivity became similar to hell for McCain and he was in a very difficult situation: he was summoned to the camp chief, who demanded McCain confess in all possible war crimes. McCain refused to do it, as well as to share military secret information, and he was beaten every day for many times. There were situations when more than five people mocked McCain for several hours, then they tied him up and threw an exhausted man into their special “penalty room” with no clothes, beds, food, etc., trying to break his temper. It was a room of a constant pain for John McCain, but even such cruel mockeries did not deprive him of the desire to live and struggle for his life and future. It can be said that only a fantastic will to live allowed McCain to overcome all the hardships on his way to freedom and formed his strong character and readiness to follow own ideals to the last breath.

McCain’s Position on Political Issues

According to the opinion of many politicians, McCain was a “hawk”, but he was not a crazy and insane leader because all his deeds were based on a well thought out strategy for resolving the issue. He learned well the lessons of the Vietnam War and believed that if the US were going to war, then the country should do it with a clear goal and a verified plan to exit the conflict. Moreover, there is no opportunity to refuse from the previous decision because when the decision is made and the ships with the aircraft are sent to other people’s shores – the army’s support from the authorities should be complete and unconditional.

McCain’s Political Course and His Last Years of Life

McCain, as the politician, became famous for not adhering to clear party discipline and acting as he saw fit for the country. He often went against the party in many issues, beginning with his struggle against the tobacco industry and ending with an attempt to prove that the improvement of relations with Vietnam may help the United States to keep the influence of China in the region. Fortunately, it is better to reconcile with the old enemy, and use this friendship for the country’s prosperity than to continue enmity and create problems for the United States and its inhabitants, allowing possible threats to become a reality.

For the last years of life, McCain continued to be an irreconcilable defender of the rights and freedoms of the inhabitants of his native country. Moreover, nowadays he is also known as one of the most aggressive and militant haters of Russian political course in the United States. He proposed to exclude Russia from the G-8, as well as create an analogue of the United Nations without the participation of China and Russia. The politician repeatedly accused the Russian state of encroaching on American democracy and human rights, as well as in interfering in the presidential elections in 2016. Nevertheless, with all his aggressive statements, John McCain called himself “an optimist, even when it comes to Russia”.

Thus, the honored hero of the Vietnam War, a great political leader and an irreconcilable fighter for the rights and freedoms of Americans, the decisive “hawk” John McCain will undoubtedly remain in history of his country as one of the brightest American politicians. He became famous all over the world as a true symbol of his country and nothing can change this fact even after his death.