US Senator McCain: biography, family and achievements. Marital status of John McCain

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

Clutching 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 incident 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. And 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”. When McCain flew up to Hanoi, his "Phantom" was shot down by a rocket. 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

Education

Until the age of thirteen he studied at St. Stephen's School.

From fifteen to eighteen he attended a private episcopal school.

In general, he studied at twenty different schools - this is due to the frequent relocations of his military father.

At twenty-two he graduated from the US Naval Academy, a carrier-based pilot.

Two years later, he graduated from a flight school as a naval aviation attack pilot.

Motherland, personal life

He was a diligent and exemplary student. Those who knew him in his youth characterize him as an energetic, quick-tempered person. He strove always and in everything to win in rivalry with his peers.

While studying at the Naval Academy in Annapolis, he often received reprimands. He has more than a hundred of them. He was repeatedly punished for violating military regulations and indiscipline. The reasons are very different: from unpolished boots to a shine to unflattering sayings addressed to the leadership.

Favorite subjects during training - English literature, history, public administration.

Speaking of the senator in his youth, it is worth noting that he had a reputation as a "party-goer". I drove a Chevrolet Corvette. His girlfriend was a stripper nicknamed "Mary the Flame of Florida".

The Arizan state senator himself would later say of himself that he wasted his youth and health in vain. There were many mistakes that he considers irreparable, but all this is in the past.

From an early age, John had an attachment to the US Episcopal Church. At seventy-one he becomes a supporter of the Baptist Church. This is due to the fact that his second wife belongs to the Baptists.

His choice - naval aviation - is connected with the passions of his father and grandfather. McCain's father is a US naval officer, a four-star admiral. My grandfather also had such a rank. Both are participants in World War II.

Then there was a move to Virginia. Having become a military pilot, he skillfully controls the aircraft.

Once in Texas, during another training session, the engine of his plane broke down. An emergency landing followed. Luckily, he received minor injuries.

At twenty-eight, he met Carol Shepp, who is a year younger than him. The model from Philadelphia has already been married before. The first wife raised two children from her first marriage. McCain became their father. He adopted three-year-old Doug and five-year-old Andy. The couple signed in July 1965.

Four months later, when the aircraft landed, the engine stalled. McCain ejected. The plane crashed. I really wanted to transfer to a military position. The instructor did not suit him.

Literally a year after these events, the couple had a daughter, Sydney. And then he was transferred to the aircraft carrier Forrestal. Military service continued on the attack aircraft.

Then he was married to Cindy Lou Hensley. The marriage took place in May 1980. From her father, she inherited a large business - the beer trade.

He divorced his first wife a month before this event. Returning from captivity, McCain did not want to live with a woman who, two years after his stay in Vietnamese detention, got into a terrible car accident, as a result of which she lost her attractiveness.

Later he reproached himself for this offense. He referred to selfishness and immaturity, as well as the consequences of Vietnamese captivity. But he didn't just leave his wife. Left her two houses: Florida and Virginia. Paid for the treatment of a sick ex-wife.

Children from the second marriage: Megan (34 years old), son John Sidney IV (32 years old), son James (30 years old.)

When John Sidney was fifty-five, he became the father of a three-month-old foster girl who needed to be treated.

Career and social activities

1960 - service in the Caribbean.

When he was thirty-one years old, his next transfer took place - to the Pacific Ocean. Becomes a member of Operation Rolling Thunder.

July 29, 1967 almost died. The incident occurred while he was at the helm of the Forrestal. Opposite his plane was an F-4, from which Zuni, already known for its unreliability, suddenly took off. This rocket took off spontaneously. There was a fire, and McCain almost died. He was wounded in the legs and chest.

The fire spread to other planes. Explosion after explosion sounded - the bombs suspended from them began to explode. More than twenty aircraft were irretrievably lost. Work is underway to clarify the versions of the accident. According to one of them, the rocket hit the fuel tank of John's aircraft. On the other - to the next one. As a result of the disaster, one hundred and thirty-four people died. One hundred and sixty-one sailors are wounded.

McCain's next transfer was a squadron to the aircraft carrier Oriskani. On it, he made twenty-two sorties.

In 1967, his plane, which took off as part of a group of twenty aircraft, was hit by an S-75 anti-aircraft missile. The pilot ejected, but broke his leg, both hands, was taken prisoner.

Vietnamese soldiers heartlessly beat all the prisoners, including the wounded McCain. Still admitted to the hospital. Treated for almost a month and a half. As a result of being in captivity, the prisoner lost twenty-six kilograms. At thirty-one, his hair turned gray. Because of this, he later received the nickname White Tornado.

In prison he was in solitary confinement. Meanwhile, my father was appointed commander in chief of the US Pacific Fleet. Vietnamese authorities offered to release McCain. But it was stated that he would agree only if the military, captured before him, would be free.

Every two hours the prisoner was severely beaten. But it was not possible to break the will in captivity. He fell ill with dysentery. Due to fractures and constant beatings, the poor fellow could not raise either one or the other arm above his head.

After his release, the pilot said that the warden who came to him in the morning demanded that the prisoner bow to him. The prisoner refused, and he beat him on the temple. Other Vietnamese were severely beaten, demanding secret information.

After one of the prisoners was released from captivity in 1969, he spoke about the torture to which American prisoners of war were subjected. And their handling has improved somewhat. At thirty-seven years after the signing of the peace accords, John Sidney McCain was released.

1974 - commander of the training squadron.

1981 - the captain of the first rank leaves the service, realizing that after suffering injuries he will not be able to become an admiral.

1987-2018 - U.S. Senator from Arizona. The American Time magazine included him several times in the top ten of the best American senators.

2015-2018 - Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Armed Forces.

At one time, the media were full of rumors about the "revival" of the South Stream project regarding the construction of a gas pipeline between Russia and Bulgaria. But in the end, information about the negotiations was not confirmed.

Twice fought for the presidency of the United States.

2000 - Lost to George W. Bush (McCain-Republican party system).

Eight years later - Democratic candidate Barack Obama.

At the age of seventy-three, he visited the prison block, where he had once been a prisoner for so long (here the Vietnamese authorities opened a museum).

A destroyer was named after the older and younger McCains. In 2017, a destroyer collided with an oil tanker. Five US sailors were injured.

In the same year, John McCain III was diagnosed with a terrible diagnosis - an incurable form of a brain tumor. During the year he unsuccessfully fought the disease.

On August 24, 2018, he refused to continue treatment, as the disease progressed. On the 25th, four days before his eighty-two birthday, he died.

Video

Watch an exclusive TSN interview with one of America's most influential politicians. Find out how the hawk of foreign policy aggressively criticized Russian President Putin. What did he say about the person of Donald Trump? Here is the best video about the legendary politician online.

John Sidney McCain III was born on August 29, 1936 at the Coco Solo US Air Force Base in the Panama Canal Zone. We can say that the baby was born immediately in a camouflage shirt. The future senator comes from a family of hereditary military men. His father, John Sidney "Jack" McCain, Jr., was a US Naval officer who served in World War II. John's grandfather, John S. McCain, was one of the founders of the US Navy's aircraft carrier strategy. Apparently, the harsh and straightforward warriors did not even begin to philosophize about the name of the child and simply called, like all the men in the family, John, giving a serial number for the sake of formality.

The origin of John McCain at first predetermined his upbringing. That he would choose the same profession as the ancestors was not discussed. John followed in the footsteps of his father and grandfather and graduated from the US Naval Academy in 1958, becoming a carrier-based pilot. Subsequently, for a year and a half, he was trained at naval aviation bases in Florida and Texas. In 1960, McCain graduated from flying school and became a ground attack pilot in the Naval Aviation.

Then, for several years, McCain changed one military base after another, and in 1960 ended up on the aircraft carrier Enterprise in the Caribbean. It is noteworthy that he served on this ship during the Caribbean crisis and the naval blockade of Cuba in October 1962. It is possible that John’s painful dislike for everything Russian was born there, which will result in almost clinical Russophobia.

In December 1965, McCain had an accident: during the flight, the engine caught fire, John successfully ejected, but the plane crashed. After this incident, McCain asked his superiors to transfer him from an instructor position to combat service. And at the end of 1966 he was transferred to the aircraft carrier Forrestal. In the crew of this ship, McCain takes part in Operation Rolling Thunder - a massive bombardment of North Vietnam, not expecting that it will become a turning point in his fate.

On October 26, as part of a squadron of 20 aircraft, he flew to bomb a power plant in the center of Hanoi and was shot down by a Soviet anti-aircraft missile. The pilot ejected, but was captured by Vietnamese soldiers. McCain spent five and a half years as a prisoner in Vietnam and was released in 1973 under the terms of the Paris Agreement. After the captivity, the consequences of injuries and mental problems do not allow him to continue military service and the place on the admiral's shoulder straps has to be left. With the rank of captain of the 1st rank, he retires. During his service he was awarded the Silver Star, Bronze Star, Legion of Honor, Purple Heart and Distinguished Flying Cross.

At the same time, John McCain turned his views on politics, deciding to realize himself already in this field, and already in November 1982 he was elected a member of the US House of Representatives from the first constituency of Arizona as a Republican. In total, he was re-elected to this post - in 1992, 1998 and in 2004.

In 2000, McCain decides to try his hand at the presidential race and participates in the primaries from the Republican Party, becoming the most serious competitor of George W. Bush. He managed to win in New Hampshire, Arizona, Michigan and the states of New England - Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Vermont. The liberal part of the Republicans came out on his side, while conservative Protestant figures actively acted against him. The struggle was difficult, the most "dirty technologies" were used against McCain, designed for the conservative part of the Republican voters. So, a rumor was launched that McCain had an illegitimate daughter from a relationship with an African-American woman. This rumor was connected with the fact that he adopted a girl from Bangladesh. John did not have time to justify himself to the voters and retired from the race for the presidency.

Later, the Democrats tried to lure him over. During the 2004 election campaign, McCain was considered by Democratic contender John Kerry's team as a possible vice presidential candidate who could attract liberal Republican votes. However, McCain refused this offer, remaining loyal to the party.

However, the political capital and fame acquired during the first campaign were not in vain: and John McCain again makes a new attempt to get to the Oval Office in the 2008 presidential election as a candidate from the Republican Party. This time, the initiative turned out to be more successful: he easily defeated his rivals and became the single candidate from the Republican Party ahead of schedule (unlike the Democrats, where the intrigue around the candidacy - Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama? - remained almost until the end of the "primaries" ). As early as March 5, 2008. his candidacy was supported by George Bush, who said that the country "needs such a president" as George McCain. However, November 4, 2008 American voters chose not to vote for his candidacy, but for the candidacy of Barack Obama.

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 a beer company owned by his wife, Cindy Hensley McKay.

Today McCain is an active supporter of military campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan. He is an ardent opponent of the policy of the current Russian leadership, put forward the idea of ​​excluding Russia from the G8, proposing to include India and Brazil instead. John has repeatedly stated that Russia is not even close to being a democratic or economically developed country, so today his career is built exclusively on anti-Russian positions. As a man with a military background, John McCain is in favor of strengthening the US armed forces and is a supporter of the deployment of US missile defense (ABM) in Europe.

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.

US Senator John McCain is a very extraordinary person with a remarkable biography. In his youth, he made the decision to follow in the footsteps of his grandfather and father, who served in the US Navy and were both admirals. To do this, in 1958, McCain graduated from the Naval Academy and became a carrier-based pilot. An important page in his biography was his participation in military operations in Vietnam, where in 1964 he was shot down near Hanoi and was held captive for five and a half years. In 1973, he was released thanks to the Paris Agreement. He retired from military service in 1981, and a year later became a member of the US House of Representatives, where he was elected from the Republican Party. Later, in 1986, McCain took the post of Arizona senator, to which he was re-elected four times.

The hero of our article was a presidential candidate in 2000. McCain gave this place to George W. Bush, losing in the party elections. However, this senator did not abandon the idea of ​​becoming the head of the country. In 2008, he was considered as the main contender for the main post of the country from the Republican Party. Important support during this period was provided to him by the current president, who was George W. Bush.

Family

The future Senator McCain, John Sidney the third, being the son of a naval officer, was born at the Coco Solo airbase of the US Air Force on August 29, 1936. She was in Panama, near the city of Colon.

The current Senator's father, McCain John Sidney "Jack" Jr., served as a submarine officer in World War II. Over the years of his service, he rose to the rank of four-star admiral and was awarded the Bronze and Silver Stars. John Sidney Jr. lived 70 years (1911-1981).
The current politician's mother is Roberta McCain (born 1912), née Wright.

McCain's grandfather, John Sidney McCain, was also a four-star admiral. He made a significant contribution to the development of the US Navy as one of the founders of the aircraft carrier strategy. During the 2nd World War, the grandfather of the current senator took part in the battles in the Pacific.

Childhood

Living with his parents, John McCain traveled a lot. Father was often transferred for military service to different air bases. They were in New London (Connecticut), Pearl Harbor (Hawaii) and many other places in the Pacific Ocean.

After the end of World War II, John McCain's family moved to Virginia. Here, the future senator became a student of St. Stephen's School, located in the city of Alexandria. He attended this educational institution until 1949. Then there was a private episcopal school (1951-1954), within the walls of which he was engaged in wrestling and achieved special success in this type of competition. But this was not the last school attended by the future Senator McCain. His biography in childhood developed in such a way that he had to change about 20 different educational institutions. This happened due to the frequent movements of the family in connection with the new appointments of the father.

It is noted that in his childhood, McCain was an energetic boy, but had a quick-tempered and aggressive character. Even then, there was a desire to defeat peers on any issues.

In terms of religious beliefs, McCain belonged to the American Episcopal Church from an early age. However, in 2007, already a senator, he became a Baptist. He began attending the conservative Arizona-based Phoenix Baptist Church. His second wife belongs to the same largest Protestant denomination in America.

Getting an education and starting military service

In the footsteps of his father and grandfather, the current Senator McCain followed in his life. His biography as an officer began after entering the Naval Academy, which was located in Annapolis. He graduated from it in 1958. It is worth noting that during his studies, the future senator repeatedly violated discipline. Because of his misdeeds, he received about 100 reprimands annually. In addition, McCain was often punished. He neglected the provisions of the military regulations, from unpolished boots to inappropriate statements that he allowed himself to make to his superiors.

But there were also positive moments. So, John McCain, having a height of 170 cm and a weight of 58 kg, was a wonderful boxer in his category. There were also good grades in his arsenal, but only in those subjects that interested the cadet. Their list included English literature, as well as history and government. John McCain was one of 899 academy graduates in 1958. At the same time, according to his results, he ranked 894th.

The military career of John McCain began with training on the Skyrader Douglas A-1 attack aircraft. During 1958-1960. the young officer managed to serve at two naval aviation bases. One of them was in Texas ("Corpus Christi"), and the second - in Florida ("Pensacola"). This was the time when McCain managed to earn a reputation as a "party animal". He drove a Chevrolet Corvette, had an affair with a stripper and, as he himself later admitted, wasted his health and youth. In addition, this officer was considered an air reckless driver, but he was a very lucky person. So, during a training flight in Texas, his plane, due to engine failure, crashed to the ground during landing. The pilot himself received only minor bruises.

The next step in the military career of the future senator was the end of the flight school in 1960. After that, he became a professional pilot, flying attack aircraft of naval aviation, and served in the Caribbean on the aircraft carriers Enterprise and Intrelid. On the first of them, he was in October 1962 during the Caribbean crisis, when a naval blockade of Cuba was organized.

While serving in Spain, the future senator inadvertently hooked on a power line. The incident led to the decision of the authorities to transfer him to Mississippi to the Meridian Naval Base as an instructor.

Another accident with McCain occurred in December 1965. Then, during the flights, the engine of his plane caught fire. John managed to eject.

During his service as an instructor, McCain constantly wrote reports to his superiors asking for his transfer to combat service. And in 1966 he got on the aircraft carrier Forrestal. Here, John became the pilot of the Douglas A-4 Skyhawk attack aircraft.

In March 1967, the father of the future senator was in charge of the US Navy in Europe, serving in London.

First marriage

In 1964, the future senator McCain met Carol Schell. He later married this model from Philadelphia. Their marriage was registered on 07/03/1965. This was Carol's second marriage. From the first, with classmate John, she had two sons - five-year-old Andy and three-year-old Doug. McCain adopted his wife's children. In September 1966, the couple had a daughter. They named her Sydney.

Participation in the fighting in Vietnam

In early 1967, the aircraft carrier Forrestal, on which McCain served, was relocated to the Pacific Ocean. Here, the US military took part in Operation Rolling Thunder. The future senator, as well as his colleagues, expressed dissatisfaction with the limited list of targets hit. This list was so small that the objects in it were bombed more than once, and there was no guarantee that all the actions of the military had significant weight for a future victory. In addition, American pilots were forced to overcome a very serious air defense system, which was created with the participation of the USSR.

On July 29, 1967, a fire broke out on the Forrestal, during which McCain almost died. An unguided, accidentally fired rocket hit John's plane, in which he was in preparation for takeoff. And this time, the future senator managed to escape. He jumped on deck just in time. This was followed by an explosion that caused a huge fire. During this incident, 134 American Navy sailors were killed and 62 people were injured. The aircraft carrier irretrievably lost more than 20 combat aircraft. McCain himself was hit by shrapnel in the chest and legs. After this incident, Forrestal was sent for repairs.

After leaving the hospital, McCain rejoined the fighting. 09/30/1967 he was transferred to the Oriskani aircraft carrier, which was part of the 163rd assault squadron. And by the end of 1967, McCain had made twenty-two sorties. Some of his targets were in the Hanoi and Haiphong area.

years of captivity

On October 26, 1967, an American group of 20 aircraft flew to bomb a power plant located in the center of Hanoi. This group also included McCain's plane, which was shot down by an anti-aircraft missile. The pilot managed to eject. He landed on the water surface of the lake, where he nearly drowned, breaking his leg and both arms in the process. An American pilot was captured by Vietnamese soldiers. They beat him severely, crushing McCain's shoulder. In this state, the future senator was placed in the main prison of Hanoi.

Interrogations followed. However, John, in accordance with the military regulations of his country, gave only the most brief information about himself. Having learned the name of the prisoner, the Vietnamese established that the son of a high-ranking American military man was in their prison. Thanks to this, McCain was provided with medical assistance and his capture was officially announced. The pilot was in the hospital for six weeks. At this time, a French television journalist was admitted to him. In addition, it was visited by prominent political figures of Vietnam. They decided that the wounded officer was a member of the US military elite. By December 1967, McCain had turned gray, nicknamed "White Tornado", and lost 26 kg in weight. At this time, he was transferred to the Hanoi POW camp. Here, his comrades in misfortune continued to take care of him. In March of the following year, the future senator was placed in solitary confinement.

In July 1968, McCain's father took command of the US Pacific Fleet. At the same time, he began to lead the Navy participating in the Vietnam War. Of course, this immediately became known to the North Vietnamese authorities. And they, for their propaganda purposes, proposed the release of McCain before his comrades in captivity. However, the future senator said that he would take advantage of such an offer only if the officers who got there before him were released from prison. This refusal was reported by Vietnamese officials to American representative Averell Harriman at the peace talks in Paris.

In August 1968, John McCain in Vietnam was subjected to constant beatings every 2 hours. By this it was decided to break the will of the American officer. At this time, John was also seriously ill with dysentery. They even made a suicide attempt, but the guards prevented this. Such "interrogations" continued for four days. After that, McCain was forced to write a confession about the criminal activities he carried out against the people of Vietnam. But at the same time, the future senator went for some tricks. When writing the document, he used communist jargon that was unusual for him. By this, McCain showed that the confession was not written according to his will.

During the days of August torture, John received new fractures.

But even after signing the confession, he continued to be treated extremely badly. Two or three times during the week he was periodically beaten for not wanting to write a second similar document. During this period, he categorically refused to meet with US anti-war activists who visited Hanoi. He believed that this would make it possible to use his name for propaganda directed against America.

In the summer of 1969, the Vietnamese freed the Americans from captivity, one of whom reported how his comrades were being tortured. This was the result of improved treatment of prisoners of war. In October 1969, John McCain was transferred to another prison, Hoalo, in Vietnam. American pilots ironically called her "Hanoi Hilton". There, he also did not agree to hold meetings with American activists and with those journalists who sympathized with North Vietnam.

John McCain spent five and a half years in captivity, or 1967 days. He was released on March 15, 1973, after the Democratic Republic of Vietnam and the United States signed the Paris Peace Accords.

End of military career

Returning from Vietnamese captivity, the future Senator McCain continued his service in the US Navy. His photograph, taken at a meeting with President Richard Nixon, gained wide popularity. On October 14, 1973, McCain, still on crutches, was invited to the White House.

In 1973-74. he underwent a painful and exhausting course of physical therapy and at the same time studied at the National War College, located in Washington, DC. Treatment allowed McCain to do without crutches, and study - to restore the pilot's qualifications. In 1974, he was assigned to Cecil Field, a naval airfield near Jacksonville, Florida, where he was promoted to commander. The plans of the authorities were to improve the combat readiness of this unit, which was associated with the excellent organizational skills of the future Senator McCain.

The real entrance to the world of big politics was given to him with the experience of working as a naval liaison officer in the US Senate, where John got in 1977. In 1981, he finally realized that it would not be possible to achieve the admiral's rank, as his grandfather and father did . Career is seriously hampered by previous injuries and injuries. In this regard, McCain retired from active service, being in the rank of captain of the first rank.

During his military career, the combat officer was awarded the Silver and Bronze Stars, the Legion of Honor and Purple Heart medals, as well as the Cross, which indicated outstanding achievements in flying.

Divorce

In 1969, McCain's wife was in a car accident. This led to the loss of its former attractiveness. Almost immediately after returning from Vietnamese captivity, McCain broke up with her, taking full responsibility for this step. Later, he spoke about the immaturity and selfishness of that age period and that he considers himself completely to blame for the divorce. At the same time, he referred to the years of Vietnamese captivity.

The official divorce of the spouses was issued on 04/02/1980. McCain left two houses for his already ex-wife - in Florida and Virginia, and also continued to allocate funds for her treatment.

Second marriage

On May 17, 1980, McCain remarried. His chosen one was Cindy Lou Hensley. She taught in Phoenix, Arizona and was the daughter of a prominent local businessman, James Hillis Hensley. Later, McCain's wife inherited a huge beer trading company from her father.

With this woman, John McCain again became a father. Children from their marriage - daughter Megan born in 1984 and sons, the eldest (1986) John Sidney ("Jack") IV and the youngest (1988) - James.

The sons followed in the footsteps of their father and connected their lives with the army. John Sidney IV was educated, like McCain himself, at the Naval Academy, located in Annapolis. James joined the Marine Corps in 2006, and a year later he was sent to serve in Iraq.

In 1991, the McCains adopted a 3-month-old girl from the Mother Teresa Orphanage in Bangladesh. They named her Bridget. In 1993, the girl was adopted.

Politician career

Since 1982, the political career of John McCain has been developed. Since that time, he has become a member of the Republican Party. The active support of his father-in-law helped him quickly get involved in the world of politics. In November 1982, he was elected a Republican member of the US House of Representatives from the 1st congressional district, located in the state of Arizona. Two years later, he was easily re-elected for another term.

In general, politician McCain supported the economic and political course pursued by President Ronald Reagan. But, nevertheless, he voted against the presence of marines in Lebanon. He explained such an act by the fact that he did not see any prospects for America's military presence in this country.
McCain's opinion did not correspond to the interests of the Republican administration.

This act is believed to have started McCain's reputation as a maverick politician. A month later, the correctness of the future senator was confirmed in connection with the explosion of the Beirut barracks, during which the US army suffered heavy losses.

In November 1988, the political career of John Macken received a new round. From the state of Arizona, he was elected US Senator with sixty percent of the vote in the election. After that, he was re-elected in 1992, 1998, 2004 and 2010.

Since 1987, in the Senate, McCain dealt with issues of the armed forces, trade, and Indian affairs. From 1995 to 1997, and from 2005 to 2007, he served as chairman of the committee dealing with Indian affairs. In 1997-2001, as well as in 2003-2005. McCain served as chairman of the trade committee. Since January 2007, he has been the Senior Minority Representative of the Armed Services Committee.

In addition to all of the above posts, since 1993 McCain has been the chairman of the board of directors at the International Republican Institute.

Attitude towards Russia

John McCain is considered the main Russophobe of the United States. It was this reputation that he won in connection with his statements about our country. John McCain's opinion about Russia is very negative. He constantly criticizes the political course of President Vladimir Putin and argues that the Russian Federation is not worthy of an invitation to the club, which brings together the leading developed countries of the world.

McCain is known as a defender of anti-Russian regimes operating in the former USSR. In 2005, on his initiative, Mikhail Saakashvili and Viktor Yushchenko were nominated as nominees for the Nobel Prize.

It is worth saying that McCain's views on all the processes that are taking place in the post-Soviet space run counter to the position of the Kremlin.

sudden illness

Relatively recently, Macken was diagnosed with an oncological disease - a brain tumor. It became known during the ongoing research of the eye.

In this regard, many are interested in the following question: "What's with the face of John McCain?". But the answer here is pretty simple. Pathology left no marks on him. This is the face of a man in years who has lived a long and hard life.

As for the tumor, the senator is undergoing a combined course that involves its treatment. Conducts therapy medical center Mayo Clinic.

John Sydney McCain III(Eng. John Sidney McCain III, born August 29, 1936 at Coco Solo Air Force Base) is an American Republican politician, US Senator from Arizona since 1987. Republican candidate in the 2008 US presidential election, where he lost to Democrat Barack Obama.

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 as a carrier-based pilot. Veteran of the Vietnam War. He was shot down by a Soviet missile 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 he 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. In 2008, he was a Republican presidential candidate (McCain was officially supported by then-incumbent President George W. Bush), but lost the election to Democratic candidate Barack Obama.

Early years and military career

Family

John Sydney McCain the third was born on August 29, 1936 at the Coco Solo Air Force Base near the city of Colon in Panama (at that time the Panama Canal Zone leased by the United States). 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 carrier-based strategy of the US Navy, participated in battles in the Pacific theater of World War II.

As a child, John traveled a lot with his parents due to his father's frequent transfers 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 Alexandria, where he studied until 1949. From 1951-1954, McCain attended a private Episcopal school, where he achieved particular success in wrestling. Due to his father's frequent moves, McCain attended about 20 different schools in total. 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 Phoenix Baptist Church 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 in Annapolis and was released 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.

In 1958-1960, he trained for a year and a half on the Douglas A-1 Skyrader attack aircraft at the Pensacola Naval Aviation Base in Florida and Corpus Christi in Texas. During this time, he earned a reputation as a "party person", drove a Chevrolet Corvette, dated a stripper nicknamed "Maria the Flame of Florida" and, as McCain himself later noted, "wasted his youth and health." John was an air scorcher and rarely stayed up to read the flight manual. While training in Texas, the engine on McCain's plane failed and the plane crashed to the ground on landing. The pilot escaped with minor injuries. In 1960, McCain graduated from flight school and became a ground attack pilot in the Naval Aviation.