Eternal loser. The life and amazing adventures of John McCain

At 4:28 p.m. local time on August 25, four days before his 82nd birthday. Condolences to his family were expressed by American leader Donald Trump and his wife Melania, former US President Barack Obama, former governor of California, and actor Arnold Schwarzenegger, and many other famous personalities.

In honor of McCain, one of the office buildings of the upper house of the US legislature is already being thought of.

Photo: Wikipedia/ U.S. News & World Report

John Sidney McCain III was born on August 29, 1936 at the American naval base Coco Solo in the Panama Canal Zone. Then it was occupied by American troops.

McCain's ancestors were high-ranking US military. My grandfather and father were four-star admirals in the US Navy. John decided to follow in his parents' footsteps and in 1958 he graduated from the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. Then, until 1981, he served as a carrier-based pilot in the US Navy.

During the Vietnam War, McCain served in Vietnam. In October 1967, his plane was shot down by a Soviet missile over Hanoi. John managed to eject. He landed in a lake in the center of the Vietnamese capital. In the fall, he broke both arms and a leg, and was then beaten by Vietnamese soldiers. As a result, his shoulder was shattered and he was wounded twice.

A photo: PopularMilitary - Beating John McCain in Vietnam (1967)

After that, McCain spent several months as a prisoner of the People's Army of Vietnam. In July 1968, his father became commander in chief of the US Pacific Fleet and, by extension, commander of the US Navy in Vietnam. He had the opportunity to make an exchange and rescue his son. But John refused and remained in captivity. Injuries received in Vietnam led to the fact that McCain lost the ability to raise his hands above his head.

While in a Vietnamese prison, McCain refused to meet with American anti-war activists and reporters who sympathized with North Vietnam. In the end, he was in captivity for five and a half years and was released on March 15, 1973 under the terms of the Paris Agreement, when a peace treaty was signed between the United States and Vietnam.

A photo: Waco Tribune-Herald - Richard Nixon and John McCain

A year after returning home, John McCain completed training at the National War College in Washington and returned to military service. He continued to serve in the military until 1981. He retired with the rank of captain of the first rank.

After that, the ex-military became a member of the House of Representatives from Arizona from the Republican Party. Five years later, McCain was elected to the US Senate from Arizona. After that, he was re-elected six times: in 1992, 1998 and 2004, 2010 and 2016. In the Senate, McCain served on the Indian Affairs, Armed Services, Commerce, Science, and Transportation committees.

In 2000, McCain first tried to compete for the presidency. However, he was not destined to become the head of state. For the first time in the "primaries" he was beaten by George W. Bush. In 2008, the Republican lost to Democratic candidate Barack Obama in the presidential election.

A photo: The New York Times - John McCain in the Primaries

On July 19, 2017, it was reported that McCain had been diagnosed with a brain tumor. Representatives of the politician then reported that on July 14, during the operation, surgeons at one of the American medical centers removed a 5-centimeter blood clot from the senator's left eye.

During his lifetime, the military pilot and senator was awarded many military awards: the Order of the Bronze Star, the Cross for Flying Military Merit, the Order of Military Merit, the Order of the Purple Heart, the Order of the Silver Star.

The senator also wrote an autobiography, The Faith of My Fathers. Released in 1999, the book became a bestseller. John McCain has been married twice and has seven children: four sons and three daughters. Among them are the adopted boys of the first wife and an adopted orphan from Bangladesh. He also has four grandchildren.

MOSCOW, July 20 - RIA Novosti. US Senator John McCain has been diagnosed with brain cancer. Doctors have already done surgery to remove the tumor, and he is now at the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix, Arizona.

Political scientist: McCain is considered an extraordinary politician in the USUS Senator John McCain vowed to return to work after undergoing surgery to remove a brain tumor. Political scientist-Americanist Viktor Olevich on the air of radio Sputnik noted the specific position of the senator in foreign and domestic policy of the United States.

The 80-year-old senator and his family are "exploring options for further treatment," doctors said. McCain himself promised to return to work after he recovers from the operation.

“Yes, I will have to stay at home a little longer, undergo treatment. I will be back,” the politician told his friend and Senate colleague Lindsey Graham.

"Let's pray. God knows how this will end, not me. But I know one thing: this disease has not yet faced such a serious rival," Graham added in an interview with the Associated Press.

Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, in turn, McCain "an unusually strong" person.

What is John McCain known for?

John McCain has been a member of the Senate for over 30 years and is considered one of the most respected American politicians.

McCain was born on August 29, 1936 in a military family. His grandfather and father were four-star admirals in the US Navy. The future senator himself graduated from the US Naval Academy, becoming a carrier-based pilot.

In 1967, during the Vietnam War, McCain's plane was shot down by a Soviet missile over Hanoi, and the pilot himself was taken prisoner. He was released only five and a half years later, when Vietnam and the United States signed the Paris Peace Accords.

McCain left the military in 1981 with the rank of captain first, after which he joined the Republican Party and entered politics. In 1986, he was elected Senator from the State of Arizona, a post he still holds today.

McCain says US is losing war in AfghanistanThe senator believes that the main problem lies in the White House, where, in his opinion, there is "a lot of confusion" now, so the armed forces do not have a strategy for conducting a military operation.

In 2008, McCain won the Republican primaries and fought for the presidency of the United States. Then Barack Obama won the election, who received the votes of 338 out of 538 electors. At the same time, McCain lost even in several traditionally Republican states, experts attributed this to his tough immigration program.

In 2015, John McCain chaired the House Armed Services Committee.

Anti-Russian position

The Republican senator is also known for his tough anti-Russian stance. So, in May, he said that Russia threatens world security more than the "Islamic state"*.

Americanist: McCain is a lone showman with a 'great deviation from the norm'US Senator John McCain insulted Vladimir Putin and Sergei Lavrov. Americanist Sergei Sudakov on the air of radio Sputnik noted that even among party members, McCain has not been respected for a long time.

"I think IS* can do terrible things and I'm really worried about what's happening to the Muslim faith, I'm worried about a lot of things about it. But it's the Russians who are trying to destroy the foundations of democracy, in other words, to change the results of the American elections. I haven't seen evidence that they succeeded, but they tried and still try to change the outcome of the election," the senator said at the time, adding that he did not see evidence of "Russian interference" in the American electoral process.

"I consider Vladimir Putin, who split Ukraine, a sovereign state, who puts pressure on the Baltic countries - I consider the Russians the most serious challenge that we have," McCain added.

Despite McCain's tough stance, President Vladimir Putin said he was sympathetic to the senator.

"In fact, I even like him a little. Yes, yes, yes, I'm not kidding now, I like him for his patriotism and consistency in protecting the interests of his country," the president told filmmaker Oliver Stone during the filming of the documentary "Interview with Putin".

At the same time, the Russian leader noted that politicians like McCain "are still living in the old world and do not want to look into the future."

*Terrorist organization banned in Russia.

McCain's grandfather and father were admirals in the United States Navy. John McCain followed in their footsteps and graduated from the US Naval Academy in 1958, becoming a carrier-based pilot. Veteran of the Vietnam War. He was shot down over Hanoi in 1967, spent five and a half years in Vietnamese captivity and was released in 1973 under the terms of the Paris Agreement. In 1981, McCain retired from military service, and in 1982 was elected to the US House of Representatives from the Republican Party. In 1986, he was elected Senator from Arizona, was re-elected four times - in 1992, 1998, 2004 and 2010. In 2000, he tried to run for US President from the Republican Party, but lost to George W. Bush in the party elections. Since February 2008, he was considered as the main presidential candidate from the Republicans, McCain was officially supported by the then incumbent President George W. Bush.

Early years and military career

A family

John Sidney McCain the third was born on August 29, 1936 at the US Air Force Base "Coco Solo" near the city of Colon in Panama (at that time the US leased the Panama Canal Zone). McCain's father, John Sidney "Jack" McCain Jr. (1911-1981), was a US Naval officer who served in World War II (as a submarine officer) and completed his service as a four-star admiral. Awarded with Silver and Bronze Stars. Mother - Roberta McCain, nee Wright (born in 1912). John McCain's grandfather, John S. McCain, also held the rank of four-star admiral, was one of the founders of the US Navy's aircraft carrier strategy, and fought in the Pacific theater of World War II.

As a child, John traveled a lot with his parents due to the frequent transfers of his father on business (New London, Connecticut; Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, other military bases in the Pacific. At the end of World War II, the McCain family moved to Virginia , where John entered St. Stephen's School in the city of Alexandria, where he studied until 1949. In 1951-1954, McCain attended a private Episcopal school, where he achieved particular success in wrestling.Due to the frequent relocations of his father, in total, McCain studied at about 20 In childhood, he was distinguished by an energetic character, irascibility and aggressiveness, the desire to win in competition with peers.

From childhood, McCain belonged to the Episcopal Church of the United States, but in 2007 he switched to the Baptists (the Baptist Church of Phoenix in Arizona, which is part of the Southern Baptist Convention, which adheres to the conservative views of the largest Protestant denomination in the United States), to which his second wife belongs.

Education, early military service, and first marriage

Following in his father's footsteps, after graduating from high school, McCain entered the Naval Academy at Annapolis, graduating in 1958. Every year, John received at least 100 reprimands and was often punished for breach of discipline and non-compliance with military regulations, from unpolished boots to inappropriate remarks about superiors. At the same time, with a height of 1 meter 70 cm and a weight of 58 kg, he distinguished himself as a capable lightweight boxer. McCain got good marks only in those subjects that interested him: history, English literature and public administration. Nevertheless, out of 899 graduates in 1958, John McCain scored 894th.

American Republican politician, senator from Arizona since 1987. Previously, from 1983 to 1987, a member of the House of Representatives. Veteran of the Vietnam War, has military awards. From 1967 to 1973 he was in Vietnamese captivity. One of the main contenders for the Republican Party presidential nomination in the 2008 elections.

John Sidney McCain III was born on August 29, 1936 at the American naval base Coco Solo in the Panama Canal Zone. After graduating from Episcopal High School in Alexandria, Virginia in 1954, he followed in the footsteps of his father and grandfather: both of them were admirals in the US Navy. In 1958 he graduated from the US Naval Academy in Annapolis (Maryland). His academic success was rather modest: in the course progress rating, he occupied one of the last lines.

In 1958, McCain joined the Naval Air Service. Took part in the Vietnam War. In 1967, North Vietnamese air defense forces shot down McCain's plane over Hanoi. The young officer was taken prisoner in a POW camp known as the Hanoi Hilton. There he spent five and a half years - until 1973, being humiliated and tortured. His life was saved only by the fact that McCain's father, Admiral John S. McCain Jr., commanded American forces in the Pacific, and the Vietnamese became aware of this. The prisoner of war was offered early release, but he refused. Under torture, McCain signed a confession that the Vietnamese command used for propaganda purposes: "I am a dirty criminal who committed an act of air piracy. I almost died, but the Vietnamese people saved my life, thanks to the Vietnamese doctors." Weakened from torture, McCain tried to commit suicide, but the guards interrupted this attempt. One of the consequences of McCain's captivity was his premature gray hair - later, because of it, he, rapidly involved in the political life of the United States, was nicknamed the White Tornado.

Upon his return to the United States, McCain took up the position of Naval Senate Liaison Officer. In 1974 (according to other sources, in 1973) he graduated from the National Military College in Washington. He retired in 1981. He has several military awards: the Order of the Bronze Star, the Cross for Distinguished Flying, the Order of Military Merit, the Order of the Purple Heart, and the Order of the Silver Star.

After a brief stint with his father-in-law, the beer baron James Hensley, McCain embarked on a political career. In 1982, as a member of the Republican Party, he was elected from Arizona to the House of Representatives, and then, in 1986, to the Senate. A few years later, McCain's political career nearly ended ingloriously: he became one of the "Keating Five" - ​​a group of senators who tried to illegally lobby the interests of the Arizona financial tycoon Charles Keating (Charles Keating). The Senate investigation was limited to convicting McCain of "short-sightedness."

In 1996, McCain participated in the presidential campaign of his friend - the Republican candidate Bob Dole (Bob Dole), and two years later decided to try his hand at the presidential race. In 2000, he took part in the Republican primaries, but lost to Texas Governor George W. Bush. McCain managed to win a decisive victory in the first round of the primaries - in the state of New Hampshire, but the further pre-election struggle with the Bush team turned out to be beyond the senator's strength. A wave of defamatory rumors hit him: it was that McCain himself was allegedly mentally ill, and his black adopted daughter was allegedly his own child from a prostitute. Presumably, the source of such rumors were strategists who worked for McCain's opponent, in particular the "architect" of Bush's victories Karl Rove (Karl Rove). The senator was not saved from defeat even by his military past, which he used as a trump card throughout his entire political career.

Another factor that scared Republican voters away from McCain was such qualities as his insistence on independence from the party line and the choice of political moves that were unconventional for Republicans. The senator has long been disliked by pro-Republican lobbyists. He gained notoriety as a proponent of electoral law reform, pushing for greater transparency in the flow of funding directed to candidates by various pressure groups. In 2002, together with Democratic Senator Russ Feingold, he pushed for legislation to limit corporate, union, and law firm contributions to political parties. In 2005, McCain initiated a lawsuit against well-known lobbyist Jack Abramoff (Jack Abramoff). Abramoff confessed in court to trying to bribe officials, and this served as an impetus for a new campaign to limit the practice of lobbying.

During the 2004 election, McCain supported the incumbent's candidacy reportedly through the efforts of Rove and McCain's top aide, John Weaver. Bush's opponent, Democratic Senator John Kerry, has signaled that he would like to see McCain as his vice president, but McCain has remained loyal to the party.

The Arizona senator has been known as one of the leading hawks ever since the Kosovo conflict, when he rebuked the Bill Clinton administration for not acting decisively enough against the Serbian government. McCain not only opposed the withdrawal of American forces from Iraq, but also called for an increase in the contingent in that country. At the same time, McCain criticized the administration's policy on suspected terrorist prisoners. In October 2005, he introduced a bill banning the practice of torture in American prisons. The document was sustained in a spirit that is traditional not for Republicans, but for Democrats. Vice President Dick Cheney and National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley tried to reason with the senator, but McCain remained adamant. In December 2005, his bill was passed by Congress.

With the 2008 presidential election approaching, McCain emerged as a potential Republican favorite. In June 2006, according to the popularity rating, he left behind the likely Democratic candidate, Senator Hillary Clinton: 46-47 percent of the respondents were ready to vote for McCain, and 40-42 percent for Clinton. In the case of a confrontation with another Democrat - former Vice President Albert Gore (Albert Gore) - McCain's advantage could be even more significant: 51 percent to 33.

McCain, with his controversial reputation among party members, had to take on a new role: he declared himself a staunch conservative, began to eulogize Bush and forged relationships with some of his former rival's influential advisers and sponsors. McCain tried to draw attention to his strengths in terms of party discipline: he voted for a ban on abortion, against gun control, for the use of the death penalty, supported the missile defense program. He endorsed the Bush administration's tax cuts, which he opposed in 2001 and 2002. In addition, McCain tried to enlist the support of religious conservatives with whom he had not gotten along before, in particular the famous televangelist Jerry Falwell (Jerry Falwell). However, observers say it will not be easy to overcome the accumulated contradictions between McCain and his party - he is one of the few Republican senators who voted against a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage and in favor of federal funding for a stem cell research program.

In light of McCain's possible victory in 2008, his attitude towards Russia is especially interesting: the senator has gained a reputation as one of the main "Russophobes" of the United States. He criticized the political course of the Russian leadership and the leadership of Russia's allied Belarus, as well as Bush's "pro-Russian" position. McCain argued that Russia - a country that has very little "glimpse of democracy" and that cooperates with Iran - should not be allowed into the club of the leading developed countries, the G8. In 2006, the senator urged Bush to boycott the G8 summit in St. Petersburg. McCain is known as a defender of anti-Russian regimes in the former USSR. In 2005, together with Hillary Clinton, he nominated Viktor Yushchenko and Mikhail Saakashvili for the Nobel Peace Prize. In 2006, McCain assured the Georgian leadership that the United States would certainly protect this Caucasian country from Moscow's imperial ambitions.

Since 2005, McCain has chaired the Senate Indian Affairs Committee and is also a member of the Armed Forces, Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committees. It was assumed that if the Republicans won the midterm elections in November 2006, McCain in January 2007 could head the Committee on Armed Services, but the victory went to the Democratic Party - the Democrats won a majority in both houses of Congress. Shortly after the election, it became known about the creation of an exploratory committee to prepare for McCain's participation in the 2008 presidential race - thus, the first step was taken towards the official nomination of a senator for the presidency.

In 2006, McCain ranked tenth in the list of the richest US senators, his fortune amounted to $ 29 million. His main source of income is the beer company owned by his wife Cindy Hensley McCain. McCain has co-authored several books with his assistant Mark Salter. One of them, the autobiography Faith of My Fathers, was published before the 1999 presidential election and became a bestseller.

John McCain is married for the second time. He has seven children: four sons and three daughters. At the same time, two of the sons are the children of his first wife adopted by him, and one of the daughters is the notorious black orphan from Bangladesh. The senator has four grandchildren. One of McCain's sons, Jim, is serving in the US Marine Corps and may become one of the US troops in Iraq. The senator worries about his son, but does not intend to change his attitude towards the war.

Name: John McCain

Age: 81 years old

Place of Birth: Coco Solo

Growth: 170 cm

The weight: 58 kg

Activity: Republican politician, US Senator

Family status: married

John McCain - Biography

Squeezing the trigger of the Phantom, John was sure of his invulnerability. He is the god of the sky, and below are the Viet Cong, whom he will generously “feed” with rockets. Suddenly, something with terrible force shook the cabin. Having ejected, the pilot began to smoothly descend by parachute. Downstairs, 5 years of captivity awaited him ...

Childhood, McCain family

John was born in 1936 into the family of a hereditary naval officer: both his father and grandfather were admirals in the US Navy. It is not surprising that the boy was waiting for a military career.

John grew up as a bully and a bully. At the Naval Academy, where John studied as a carrier-based pilot, he was also tormented: cadet McCain received at least 100 reprimands a year! Being a boxer, he got into fights, ran away without permission and “forgot” to follow orders. He would have been expelled from a prestigious educational institution long ago, but ... the son of a World War II hero was supposed to become an officer.

At the air base in Florida, the grip of command was not so tight. With his father's money, McCain bought a sports Chevrolet Corvette and drove through the streets of Miami and Orlando. A stripper became his girlfriend, and he himself gained fame as a womanizer and party-goer.

The command, as it could, turned a blind eye to the tricks of the "son", but one case nevertheless forced attention to itself. Coming in for landing, McCain lost control and crashed the fighter. He himself escaped with bruises, but the car required a major overhaul. Despite this, the pilot was sent to serve on the Intrepid aircraft carrier. However, there were not without incidents. While flying in Spain, John hit a power line with his wings, de-energizing the entire area. As punishment, he was sent to serve in Mississippi as a pilot instructor.

The air base, where McCain arrived, seemed to him a seedy hole. John was almost 30, and unlike his grandfather and father, he did not accomplish any feats. John could only amuse his ego with Don Juan adventures. But the father, who had become an admiral by that time, threatened John with problems if he did not change his mind and ... did not marry. He called the former top model from Philadelphia, the beautiful Carol Shepp, the mother of two sons, down the aisle. Like a real officer, he adopted her boys. A year later, the couple had a common daughter, Sydney.

The joy of fatherhood was replaced by another scandal: during the landing approach, John again crashed the fighter. He himself barely managed to escape, but the plane was not subject to restoration. And then the pilot wrote a report about being sent to war: the United States was creeping into a conflict with Vietnam.

McCain began his combat missions with the aircraft carrier Forrestal. One day the unexpected happened. McCain's plane, which was on the deck, was hit by a missile fired spontaneously from another fighter. A fire broke out on the ship, ending in the loss of 20 aircraft and the death of 134 people. John himself was wounded in the chest and legs.

However, lying in a hospital bed was not in his nature. Soon the bully was again bombing Hanoi and Haiphong. So it should have happened on October 26, 1967. But it was this day that divided his life into “before” and “after”. As McCain approached Hanoi, his Phantom was hit by a missile. Upon landing, the pilot broke his arms and leg, and then he was captured by the Vietnamese.

At the first interrogation, the pilot gave only his name and rank. But even this was enough for the Vietnamese to understand whose son they had in their hands. John was sent to the hospital, and news agencies reported about his capture. McCain was offered his freedom in exchange for an interview denouncing the Vietnam War. But the officer considered such a step a betrayal and refused. After 6 weeks, he was transferred to a POW camp. By that time, John had completely turned gray and had lost 26 kilograms of weight.

McCain recalled that the Vietnamese gave him a real nightmare. Every two hours he was beaten with a stick. In the mornings, another guard, entering the cell, made me bow. In case of refusal, he again beat with a stick. When, during interrogation, McCain was forced to give the names of the pilots of his squadron, he no longer had the strength to remain silent. Then he called ... the names of the players of the football team.

In the end, information leaked to the press about the torture of Americans led to the fact that John stopped beating and was transferred to the Hoalo prison. From there, he returned 5 years after the signing of peace between Vietnam and the United States.

John McCain - biography of personal life

Bad news awaited John at home. His wife Carol was in an accident. She came out of the hospital looking ugly. McCain filed for divorce, but left his ex-wife two houses and paid for her treatment.

Realizing that his health would not allow him to rise to the rank of admiral, like his grandfather and father, John became a liaison officer for the US Senate. Finally, after leaving the service, McCain married the daughter of the owner of the brewing company, Cindy Lou Hensley. The couple later had three children: daughter Megan and sons John and James. Another child - a girl from Bangladesh - they adopted.

John McCain - politics

McCain's father-in-law was his sponsor in the elections to the House of Representatives from Arizona. John won them, as did the next. After that, McCain was elected to the Senate, where he was born as a politician. At first he served on the Armed Services Committee, but when it became clear that the hot-tempered senator could "do things," he was transferred to the Committee on Commerce and Indian Affairs.

McCain gained popularity not only with his military past, but also with anti-Soviet, and later anti-Russian views. In 2003, when there was still no tension in relations between Russia and the United States, he stated that “... a Russian government that does not share our basic values ​​cannot be a friend or partner and risks, by its own behavior, placing itself in the category of enemies” .

Playing on George W. Bush’s expression about Putin’s soul (“I looked into his eyes, looked into his soul and decided that I could trust this man ...”), McCain mimicked him: “When I looked into Putin’s eyes, I saw three letters : KGB. However, this story has another subtext. McCain lost the presidential primaries in the Republican Party to Bush, and therefore strongly disliked him.

In the next presidential election, where McCain still became the Republican candidate, he was beaten by Democrat Barack Obama. But, having saddled the anti-Russian horse, McCain never got off it. The tension that erupted between Moscow and Washington in 2014 was only to his advantage. The senator even stated that "... the president of Russia