American Senator McCain: biography, family and achievements. John McCain: biography

John McCain's childhood and youth

John hasn't changed family tradition and attended the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis. In 1958, after graduating from the academy, he became a naval aviation officer.

During his studies, the young man was interested in classes in public administration, history and English literature. In other subjects, John was not particularly diligent, often violated the rules and often spoke unflatteringly about his superiors. For all these “exploits” he received at least a hundred reprimands every year. He was interested in boxing, but did not want to become a professional athlete.

Among nearly nine hundred graduates, John showed one of the worst results in academic performance. In 1958-1960, McCain attended flight school, and upon graduation became a naval attack pilot. John was considered an aerial reckless driver and loved to spend time with strippers. McCain himself would later speak of this period of his life as a waste of youth and health.

John McCain: Vietnam War and Captivity

Since August 1968, he was subjected to constant beatings. After 4 days of interrogation, he wrote a “confession” of his guilt, specifically using communist jargon, in order to show that the confession was “extorted” under torture.

During interrogations, he received new fractures, because of which, to this day, he cannot raise his arms above his head.

After further torture that followed, McCain announced that he would reveal the names of his colleagues and named the composition of the Green Bay Packers football team.

Rocketman Trushechkin shot down McCain

In 1968, having learned that McCain was the son of a high-ranking American military man, the Vietnamese authorities offered to release him from captivity. John replied that he would agree to the release only if all the American soldiers who were captured before him were released.

McCain spent almost five and a half years in Vietnamese captivity and was released only in 1973.

Personal life of John McCain

Returning home after captivity, John divorced his wife. He took full responsibility for the divorce upon himself. He left his wife at home in Virginia and Florida. In addition, he continued to finance the treatment of his wife, who was in a car accident in 1969.

In 1980, McCain married for the second time. His chosen one was teacher Cindy Lou Hensley, the daughter of a major beer businessman.

In his second marriage, John had two sons, John and James, and a daughter, Megan. In 1991, the couple took in a little girl from Bangladesh who needed treatment. They named her Bridget and adopted her in 1993. Sons James and John became military men. Today McCain has four grandchildren.

John McCain's political views

He put forward the idea of ​​​​creating a new organization instead of the UN, which would include about a hundred countries with a truly democratic system. There was no place for Russia and China in this McCain list.

John McCain's political career

In 1986, John McCain was elected to the Senate from the same Arizona. In the elections he receives about 60% of the votes.

In 1992, 1998, 2004, he was re-elected to the Senate with an even higher percentage of votes.

In 2000, he competed seriously with Bush Jr. in the Republican primaries.

In 2008, John McCain was nominated by the Republicans for the presidency of the United States, but lost the election to Barack Obama. However, he accepted the defeat with dignity and called on his electorate to follow the course of the new president.

John McCain Awards

John McCain on Putin, Lukashenko and Ukraine

Last years of life and death

The politician was a supporter of the liberalization of US immigration laws and the legalization of same-sex marriage, but advocated the prohibition of abortion and against the abolition of the death penalty. He fought fiercely for the prohibition of torture in American prisons.

On August 25, 2018, the senator passed away. The politician died at the age of 82 from helioblastoma, a brain cancer. The tumor began to grow after eye surgery in the summer of 2017. Treatment was not possible due to McCain's age and the size and location of the tumor, so he made the difficult decision to refuse therapy.

When an American appeared at the Kiev Euromaidan Senator John McCain and, the square responded with jubilation. Although in fact, the Ukrainian opposition should by any means not allow McCain into Ukraine, since his support, as a rule, does not bode well for those to whom it is addressed.

A slob from a good family

John Sidney McCain III had the perfect launching pad in life. He was born on August 29, 1936 at the US Air Force Base in Panama. His father and grandfather served in the US Navy to the rank of admiral, and therefore it is not surprising that John also followed the military path after school.

McCain, with the help of influential relatives, entered the prestigious US Naval Academy, mastering the profession of a carrier-based aviation pilot.

John did not want to study, showing all the habits inherent in the “golden youth”. However, there was also parental guilt here - while dad was making his way to the rank of admiral, the family was constantly changing their place of residence, so young Johnny changed as many as 20 schools.

At the academy, cadet McCain proved himself in the most disgusting way - during his studies he had more than a hundred official penalties for violating the Charter, violating the uniform, failure to comply with military discipline, as well as rudeness towards the command.

Any other cadet would have been thrown out of the educational institution after this, but the authority of his father and grandfather was covered up by the sins of a slob.

However, McCain was not completely hopeless: he established himself well as a lightweight boxer and knew English literature and history well.

As a result, out of 899 graduates of the Academy in 1958, McCain had the 894th result.

Pensacola Nightmare

The young pilot was sent to undergo training at the famous American airbase Pensacola in Florida, where McCain revealed himself in all his glory. The command turned pale when they learned about how a drunken McCain was driving around at breakneck speed in his car, scaring away respectable ordinary people, in company with a local striptease star. The young pilot spent more time at the counters of numerous bars than in the cockpit.

McCain himself would later honestly write in his biography that at that time he “wasted his youth and health in vain.”

When McCain was transferred from Pensacola to the Corpus Christi base in Texas, his former commanders did not hide their happiness. And in Texas, they very soon understood the reason for the emotions of their colleagues - during one of the training sessions, McCain crashed a plane, escaping with minor bruises.

The loss of government equipment was attributed to engine failure, although it was no secret to anyone that the pilot did not care about instructions and flew as God pleased. The world of aviation has known many talented aviation hooligans like Valery Chkalov, but the problem is that McCain did not possess such talent.

However, in 1960, John McCain became a carrier-based attack aircraft pilot on the USS Intrepid. A little later he was transferred to the aircraft carrier Enterprise, which in 1962 took part in the blockade of Cuba during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Wise commanders did not allow McCain to run wild during that period, otherwise the Third World War could very well become a reality.

John McCain. Photo: www.globallookpress.com

The Pilot Who Brings Misfortune

When international tensions eased a little, McCain was sent to serve in a quieter place - Spain. But the command did not take into account that one should not take one’s eyes off this pilot, otherwise he would find tension even where it was calm. McCain actually found it, demolishing a power line in flight. By some miracle, the plane did not crash, and no one ever knew what the Spaniards who were left without electricity thought about McCain, because they were very polite Spaniards.

The investigation into the accident revealed that the pilot was at fault. McCain was rushed to the United States, where he was assigned as an instructor at Meridian Naval Station in Mississippi.

In the quiet of America, McCain started a family, marrying a divorced top model with two children. Soon the couple had a daughter.

John would have lived in peace and waited for a promotion, but for some reason he continued to think that great military exploits awaited him. In fact, McCain’s “exploits” simply shook the command: six months after the wedding, he managed to crash another plane. As before, the expensive equipment was turned into a heap of rubbish, but the pilot survived.

Therefore, when McCain requested military service, he was gladly released. In 1966, McCain became an attack aircraft pilot on the USS Forrestal. Here, specks of dust were literally blown off the pilot, because his father by that time commanded the US Navy in Europe.

However, in 1967, Forrestal was sent to the shores of Vietnam, where the United States intended to use bombing to force the North Vietnamese government to refuse assistance to communist rebels in the south of the country.

Vietnamese "trophy"

On July 29, 1967, a major fire occurred on the aircraft carrier USS Forrestal, caused by the spontaneous launch of an aircraft missile. She got into fuel tank attack aircraft McCain, after which an explosion occurred on the deck and a severe fire began. Of course, all that was left of the attack aircraft were horns and legs, but McCain was not next to him.

As a result of the fire on the aircraft carrier, more than 130 people died, and our hero, according to tradition, was slightly injured. Forrestal was sent for repairs, and the recovered McCain was sent to the aircraft carrier Oriskany to bomb Hanoi.

Surprisingly, John McCain managed to make as many as 22 bombing missions until he finally met it - the Soviet S-75 anti-aircraft missile. The meeting was short, but bright: the attack aircraft turned into scrap metal, and the pilot with broken legs fell into the waters of a lake in the middle of Hanoi.

McCain was pulled out of the water as a trophy by the Vietnamese, after which he was held captive until March 1973.

After serving five and a half years in Vietnam camps, McCain returned to his homeland as a hero and was personally received President Richard Nixon. By a strange coincidence, soon after this meeting, Nixon faced Watergate and a disgraceful resignation.

Indian specialist

McCain continued to dream of admiral's shoulder straps, however, with his track record it was difficult to count on this even with a good pedigree.

In addition, while he was in captivity, his wife had an accident, after which her model appearance was severely damaged. McCain, returning from Vietnam, realized that their marriage was a mistake, and a few years later the couple divorced.

Realizing that his military career had reached a dead end, John McCain decided to go into politics. The Republicans just needed a die-hard anti-communist with a good biography, and McCain, who had been through the “Vietnam Gulag,” came in handy.

But in American politics you cannot count on a successful career without serious financial resources. John McCain was provided with such a resource by his marriage to Cindy Lou Hensley, daughter of a major businessman, owner of a brewing company.

In 1982, 46-year-old John McCain was elected congressman from Arizona. Four years later he moved to the US Senate.

True, party colleagues very quickly felt that entrusting the most important issues to McCain was fraught with serious consequences. So most During his Senate career, McCain served on the Indian Affairs Committee. No one ever knew what the Indians thought about this, because they were very polite Indians.

McCain and African Americans

In 2000, John McCain decided to run for president. As a result, in the Republican “primaries,” to the horror of voters, a fight unfolded between McCain and George W. Bush. For perhaps the first time, Americans were able to understand what it meant to truly choose the lesser of two evils.

It must be said that the “loser aura” haunts McCain even when he does good things. The politician and his second wife adopted a girl from Bangladesh, but this fact was not widely advertised. As a result, during the “primaries” in ultra-conservative South Carolina, the Bush Jr. team started a rumor that McCain illegitimate daughter from an African American woman.

Some believe that it was this story that was decisive in the fact that Bush Jr. became the Republican candidate in 2000, rather than McCain.

In 2008, John McCain nevertheless became the US presidential candidate from the Republican Party, but even his supporters openly admitted that they had no chance in the fight against a black Democrat Barack Obama he doesn't have much. And so it happened.

We can say that African Americans stood in the way of Republican John McCain twice to the White House: a virtual mistress and a real Democrat.

Harbinger of defeat

It seems that it was presidential ambitions that led McCain to turn his attention to international politics, especially to the post-Soviet space, from the early 2000s. The specter of a Russian anti-aircraft missile clearly haunted him, causing him a fierce desire to fight the “imperial ambitions” of Russia.

McCain put forward demands for the expulsion of Russia and China from the UN, and the creation of a “new, democratic organization” in its place. In 2005, he demanded the exclusion of Russia from the G8. In 2004 he was so tired Alexander Lukashenko that he simply banned McCain from entering the country. In response, the senator promised to fight “the last dictator of Europe.” Judging by the results, Lukashenko clearly wins on points.

Having received a beating in Belarus, McCain switched to Ukraine, where he strongly supported the leaders of the “Orange Revolution” Victor Yushchenko And Yulia Timoshenko, whom he even nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. As a result, Yushchenko completely disappeared from the political life of Ukraine, and Tymoshenko is spending time behind bars.

John McCain. Photo: www.globallookpress.com

McCain was also an ardent supporterMikheil Saakashvili. Inspired, among other things, by McCain, the President of Georgia set out to regain control over South Ossetia and Abkhazia using military force, which led to the final loss of the latter. Nowadays Saakashvili's political weight is comparable to Yushchenko's political weight.

When McCain began to actively support the armed opposition in Syria, supporters of Bashar al-Assad realized that they had a chance of victory.

Loser

McCain regularly finds himself in ridiculous situations. In 2008, his campaign headquarters asked for money for the election campaign at the Permanent Mission Russian Federation at the UN.

When in 2013 Vladimir Putin wrote an article in The New York Times, . Apparently, the senator is still confident to this day that nothing has changed in Russia since he was a prisoner of war in Vietnam.

In December 2011, John McCain began to threaten Vladimir Putin with the Russian version of the “Arab Spring.” After this, is it any wonder that the protests after the parliamentary elections ended in nothing - the “McCain aura” is capable of working real miracles.

John McCain once said about Vladimir Putin: “When I looked into Putin’s eyes, I saw three letters: KGB.” If you look closely at the senator himself, you will see the inscription loser on his forehead. And if John McCain came to the Kiev Maidan, those gathered can disperse - this guy brought defeat in more severe cases.

American Senator John McCain is a very extraordinary person with a remarkable biography. As a young man, he decided to follow in the footsteps of his grandfather and father, who served in the United States Navy and were both admirals. To this end, in 1958, McCain graduated from the Naval Academy and became a carrier-based aviation 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 left military service in 1981, and a year later became a member of the House of Representatives in the US Congress, where he was elected from the Republican Party. Later, in 1986, McCain took the post of Senator of Arizona, to which he was re-elected four times.

The hero of our article was a presidential candidate in 2000. McCain lost 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. The current president at the time, George W. Bush, provided him with significant support during this period.

Family

The future Senator McCain John Sidney III, being the son of a naval officer, was born at the Coco Solo airbase of the US Air Force on August 29, 1936. It was located 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. During his years of service, he rose to the rank of four-star admiral and was awarded the Bronze and Silver Stars. John Sidney Jr. lived to be 70 years old (1911-1981).
The current politician's mother is Roberta McCain (born 1912), née Wright.

McCain's grandfather, John Sidney McCain, also served as a four-star admiral. He made significant contributions to the development of the United States Navy as one of the founders of aircraft carrier strategy. During World War II, the grandfather of the current senator took part in battles in the Pacific Ocean.

Childhood

While living with his parents, John McCain traveled a lot. My father was often transferred for military service to different air bases. They were in New London (Connecticut), in Pearl Harbor (Hawaii) and in 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 at 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 practiced wrestling and achieved particular success in this type of competition. But this was not the last school that the future Senator McCain attended. His biography in his 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 father’s new assignments.

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

As for religious beliefs, starting with the most early years McCain belonged to the American Episcopal Church. However, in 2007, already being a senator, he became a Baptist. He began attending the conservative Phoenix Baptist Church in Arizona. His second wife also belongs to the same largest Protestant denomination in America.

Getting an education and starting military service

The current Senator McCain followed in the footsteps of his father and grandfather 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 misconduct, he received about 100 reprimands annually. In addition, McCain was often subject to reprimands. He neglected the provisions of the military regulations, from unclean boots to inappropriate statements that he allowed himself to make to his superiors.

But there were also positive moments. Thus, 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 marks in his arsenal, but only in those subjects that interested the cadet. Their list included English literature, as well as history and public administration. John McCain was one of 899 graduates of the Academy in 1958. At the same time, according to his results, he took 894th place.

John McCain's military career began with training on the Douglas A-1 Skyraider 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 was in Florida (Pensacola). This was the time when McCain managed to earn his reputation as a “party animal.” He drove a Chevrolet Corvette, had an affair with a stripper, and, as he later admitted, wasted his health and youth. In addition, this officer was considered an aerial reckless driver, but was a very successful person. So, during a training flight in Texas, his plane crashed to the ground during landing due to engine failure. At the same time, the pilot himself received only minor bruises.

The next step military career The future senator was determined to graduate from flight school in 1960. He then became a professional naval attack pilot and served in the Caribbean on the USS Enterprise and USS Intrelid. On the first of them he was in October 1962 during the period Cuban missile crisis, when the naval blockade of Cuba was organized.

While serving in Spain, the future senator accidentally touched a power line. The incident led to the decision of his superiors to transfer him to Mississippi to the Meridian Naval Base as an instructor.

Another accident with McCain occurred in December 1965. Then, during 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 duty. And in 1966 he ended up on the aircraft carrier Forrestal. Here John became a pilot of the Douglas A-4 Skyhawk attack aircraft.

In March 1967, the father of the future senator found himself at the head of the US Navy in Europe, serving in London.

First marriage

In 1964, future Senator McCain met Carol Schell. He later married this model from Philadelphia. Their marriage was registered on July 3, 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 hostilities in Vietnam

At the beginning of 1967, the aircraft carrier Forrestal, on which McCain served, was relocated to Pacific Ocean. Here the US military took part in Operation Rolling Thunder. The future senator, like his colleagues, expressed dissatisfaction with the limited list of targets to be hit. This list was so small that the objects on it were bombed more than once, and there was no guarantee that all military actions 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, there was a fire on the Forrestal, during which McCain almost died. An unguided, accidentally fired missile struck John's plane, which he was in as it prepared to take off. And this time the future senator managed to escape. He jumped onto the deck in time. This was followed by an explosion that caused strong fire. During this incident, 134 American Navy sailors were killed and 62 were injured. The aircraft carrier irretrievably lost more than 20 combat aircraft. McCain himself was wounded by shrapnel in the chest and legs. After this incident, Forrestal was sent for repairs.

After leaving the hospital, McCain rejoined the fighting. On September 30, 1967, he was transferred to the aircraft carrier Oriskany, which was part of the 163rd Attack Squadron. And by the end of 1967, McCain had flown twenty-two combat missions. Some of his targets were in the Hanoi and Haiphong area.

Years of captivity

On October 26, 1967, an American group of 20 aircraft took off 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 surface of the lake, where he almost drowned, breaking his leg and both arms. The American pilot was captured by Vietnamese soldiers. They beat him brutally, shattering 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 briefest 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 allowed to see him. In addition, it was visited by prominent Vietnamese political figures. They decided that the wounded officer was a representative of the US military elite. By December 1967, McCain had gone gray, earning the nickname “White Tornado,” and had lost 50 pounds. At this time he was transferred to a prisoner of war camp in Hanoi. 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 fellow prisoners. However, the future senator said that he would take advantage of such an offer only if the officers who went there before him were released from prison. Vietnamese officials reported this refusal to American representative Averell Harriman at peace talks in Paris.

In August 1968, John McCain was subjected to constant beatings every 2 hours in Vietnam. With this it was decided to break the will of the American officer. At this time, John was also seriously ill with dysentery. They even attempted suicide, but the guards prevented it. Similar “interrogations” continued for four days. After this, McCain was forced to write a confession about the criminal activities that he carried out against the people of Vietnam. But at the same time, the future senator resorted to 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 of his will.

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

But even after signing the confession, he continued to be treated extremely poorly. Two or three times during the week he was periodically beaten for not wanting to write the 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 released Americans from captivity, one of whom reported on the torture his comrades were subjected to. This was the result of improved attitudes towards prisoners of war. In October 1969, John McCain was transferred to another prison, Ho Alo, in Vietnam. American pilots ironically called it the “Hanoi Hilton.” There he also did not agree to hold meetings with American activists and those journalists who sympathized with North Vietnam.

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

End of military career

Returning from captivity in Vietnam, 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 painful and grueling physical therapy while studying at the National War College in Washington, DC. Treatment allowed McCain to do without crutches, and his studies allowed him to regain his pilot qualifications. In 1974, he was assigned to Cecil Field Naval Air Station near Jacksonville, Florida, where he was appointed 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.

His real entry into the world of big politics was given to him by gaining experience as a naval liaison officer in the American Senate, where John ended up in 1977. In 1981, he finally realized that he would not be able to achieve the rank of admiral, as his grandfather and father had done. . Previous injuries and wounds seriously hamper his career. In this regard, McCain left active service with the rank of captain first rank.

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

Divorce

In 1969, McCain's wife was in a car accident. This led to her losing her former attractiveness. Almost immediately after returning from captivity in Vietnam, McCain broke up with her, taking full responsibility for this step upon himself. 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 formalized on 04/02/1980. ex-wife McCain left two homes - in Florida and in Virginia, and also continued to allocate funds for her treatment.

Second marriage

05/17/1980 McCain married again. His chosen one was Cindy Lou Hensley. She taught in Phoenix, which is located in 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.

John McCain became a father again with this woman. The children from their marriage are a daughter, Megan, born in 1984, and sons, the eldest (1986) John Sidney (“Jack”) IV and the youngest (1988) James.

The sons followed in their father's footsteps 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 Marines in 2006, and a year later was sent to serve in Iraq.

In 1991, the McCains adopted a 3-month-old girl who was in Mother Teresa's orphanage in Bangladesh. They named her Bridget. In 1993, the girl was adopted.

Career politician

Since 1982, John McCain's political career has developed. From that time on he became a member of the Republican Party. The active support of his father-in-law helped him quickly enter the world of politics. In November 1982, he was elected as a Republican member of the US House of Representatives from the 1st Congressional District, located in Arizona. Two years later, he was easily re-elected for a new term.

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

It is believed that this act was the beginning of McCain's reputation as a maverick politician. A month later, the rightness 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, John McCann's political career took on a new turn. From Arizona he was elected US Senator, receiving sixty percent of the vote. After that, he was re-elected in 1992, 1998, 2004 and 2010.

Since 1987, in the Senate, McCain has been involved in issues of the military, trade, and Indian affairs. From 1995 to 1997 and from 2005 to 2007, he served as Chairman of the Indian Affairs Committee. In 1997-2001, as well as in 2003-2005. McCain served as chairman of the Commerce Committee. Since January 2007, he has served as the ranking minority member of the Armed Services Committee.

In addition to all of the above positions, McCain has served as Chairman of the Board of Directors at the International Republican Institute since 1993.

Attitude towards Russia

John McCain is considered the main Russophobe of the United States. This is exactly the reputation he gained in connection with his statements about our country. John McCain's opinion of 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 that brings together the leading developed countries of the world.

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

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

Sudden illness

Relatively recently, McKenna was diagnosed with cancer - a brain tumor. It became known during ongoing eye research.

In this regard, many are interested in the following question: “What’s wrong with John McCain’s face?” But the answer here is quite simple. The pathology left no traces on him. This is the face of an older man who has lived a long and hard life.

As for the tumor, the senator is undergoing a combined course that involves treating it. The therapy is provided by the Mayo Clinic Medical Center.

MOSCOW, August 26 - RIA Novosti, Georgy Asatryan. One of the most authoritative Republicans, a hero of the Vietnam War, “the main Russophobe of the United States,” Senator John McCain, died at the age of 82 from brain cancer. RIA Novosti recalls what he is remembered for at home and in Russia.

On Friday, August 24, the senator's family announced their decision to stop treatment for a brain tumor. "The progression of the disease and the inexorable influence of age pronounce their verdict. Last summer, Senator McCain shared with the Americans what our family already knew: he had a malignant brain tumor and the prognosis was poor. John lived a year, which is longer than many expected. With inherent With the strength of his spirit, he decided to stop treatment,” the family said in a statement.

A year ago, McCain was not going to give up and continued chemotherapy. However, the disease progressed rapidly. Almost all this time the senator was in his house in small town Cornville, Arizona.

McCain had an eventful life interesting life. For some he will remain a hero, for others - an adversary. Current US President Donald Trump could call McCain a “fool.” But many idolized him for his conservatism and dedication to the army.

© AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin

© AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin

White Tornado in captivity

Following in the footsteps of his father, US Navy Admiral John Sidney McCain Sr., the future senator entered the Naval Academy. Studying was not easy for him. During his years at the academy, he earned a reputation as a party animal and was known as the White Tornado. He drove a sports car, dated a stripper nicknamed Florida Flame and made inappropriate remarks to his superiors.

In adulthood, McCain admitted that he had "wasted his youth and health." He was the record holder for reprimands for violation of discipline and unwillingness to comply with the regulations of the military academy. It's difficult to say why he behaved this way. Apparently, the rebellious nature of the southerner affected him. The future hawk did not like studying, but he succeeded in other things - he was one of the best in the boxing section of the academy.

In July 1968, his father was appointed commander in chief of the US Pacific Fleet, and he became one of the key figures in the Vietnam War. A few months later, John McCain's plane was shot down over Hanoi, and the son of a US Navy admiral was captured.

The pilot, who had both arms and a leg broken, ended up in Hoalo Prison (Hanoi Hilton). During the war, it was used to hold captive military pilots.

The next five years left an indelible mark on McCain's soul. He himself claimed that he was constantly tortured and was on the verge of suicide, while the Vietnamese side said that they treated the prisoner with care and helped him recover from his injuries.

Years later, McCain admitted that he gave the Viet Cong a list of players from the Wisconsin football team, naming them as members of his military unit. He was released only in 1973, after the signing of peace agreements.

McCain has been awarded the Silver Star, Bronze Star, Purple Heart and Distinguished Flying Cross. But his heroism was not obvious to everyone. The same Trump said: “Is McCain a hero because he was captured? I prefer those who were not captured.”

The Unattainable White House

McCain's political career is brighter than his military one. At least in American history he will be remembered precisely as a Republican senator who defended conservative values ​​and US hegemony abroad. McCain ran for the presidency twice. And, according to the observations of his associates, he sincerely believed that he could become the head of the White House.

In 2000, McCain participated in the Republican presidential primaries and was a headache for future President George W. Bush. The senator even won several important states. However, incriminating evidence appeared in the media that he had an illegitimate daughter from an African-American woman. This had an effect, especially on the religious part of the Republicans.

The bet on immigrants was not justified then. McCain consistently advocated for open borders, defended Mexican workers, and even adopted a three-month-old girl from Bangladesh, calling her Bridget in American. But he still lost to Bush, albeit by a minimal margin. The more conservative politician won.

Four years later, McCain was remembered again. He did not want to go against Bush a second time - McCain approved of both the neoconservative policies pursued by Bush and the wars launched in Afghanistan and Iraq. The Democratic camp was put forward by Senator John Kerry - also, by the way, a Vietnam veteran - and invited Republican McCain to run in the elections with him as a candidate for the post of vice president, but was refused. McCain remained loyal to the Republican Party.

His finest hour came in 2008, when he again ran for president. There were probably more chances then. Many analysts were confident in the victory of the senator from Arizona. Few believed that Barack Hussein Obama would become the first black owner of the White House in history. As expected, McCain received support from conservative states, but this was not enough. The peak of McCain's political career remained the Senate and the Armed Services Committee, which he headed for many years.

"America's Chief Russophobe"

The Republican's dislike for Russia is fundamental and not related to short-term politics. The senator's collection of anti-Russian statements would be the envy of the most notorious Russophobes. He often repeated the phrase of the icon of American conservatives, President Ronald Reagan: “Peace through strength.” According to McCain, "this is how Reagan won the Cold War." Historians may argue with this, but his love for the 40th President of the United States determined a lot in the senator’s political views.

McCain sincerely believed that the United States and Russia would never be friends. In his opinion, the countries are too different and cooperation on equal terms is impossible. McCain has spoken out many times about political regime and Moscow's foreign policy. Like a Cold War veteran, he seemed to know what he was talking about.

But it only seemed so. In 2013, he published an article on the portal Pravda.ru, causing wild laughter in the Russian media space. The fact is that McCain was sure that he was dealing with the Soviet newspaper Pravda, and considered this site the leading information resource in Russia.

There were other funny stories. For example, one of greatest people in history he named not just anyone, but Mr. Shevardnadze. It is completely clear for what merit.

The “Russia dossier” that followed the 2016 presidential election gave McCain a second wind. But not for long. The senator became the author of the most stringent package of anti-Russian sanctions and has repeatedly accused Moscow. For him, there was no doubt: the Kremlin was interfering in the elections on Trump’s side. Moreover, he had old scores and mutual antipathy with the head of the White House.

Russia remained a mystery to him

So, John McCain passed away at the age of 82. At home, he will remain a hero, a participant in the Vietnam War and a defender of conservative values. Of course, McCain was a patriot. Although he understood patriotism in his own way. For the liberal part of the country, for New York and Los Angeles, he has always been a retrograde, looking back. For Russia - an adversary, but one that can be respected. By the way, Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke about this.

“In fact, I even like him a little. Yes, yes, I’m not kidding. I like him for his patriotism, his consistency in defending the interests of his country,” the head of state admitted and compared McCain with the Roman writer and politician Cato the Elder, who He ended all his speeches with one notorious phrase: “Carthage must be destroyed.”

“People with beliefs like the senator you mentioned still live in their old world. They don’t want to look into the future, they don’t want to understand how quickly the world is changing, they don’t see real threats and cannot move beyond their past. It drags them back with it,” Putin added. It’s also hard to disagree with this.

Once McCain, addressing the Russian President, wrote: “Dear Vlad, expect an Arab Spring in your area.” He later admitted that he had received hundreds of thousands of messages of criticism. Seven years have passed, but neither the Arab nor any other “spring” has come to Russia. McCain was probably an American patriot, and perhaps even a hero, but Russia remained a mystery to him. He did not understand or feel it.

Participation in the Vietnam War

Captivity

On October 26, 1967, McCain, as part of a group of 20 aircraft, flew to bomb a power plant in the center of Hanoi and was shot down by an S-75 anti-aircraft missile. The pilot ejected and landed in the lake. At the same time, he broke both arms and a leg and was severely beaten by Vietnamese soldiers: his shoulder was crushed, he was wounded twice. In this condition, McCain was placed in Hanoi's main prison.

During interrogation, in accordance with American military regulations, he gave only brief information about himself - by his last name, the Vietnamese established that they had captured the son of a high-ranking American officer. After this he was given health care, and his capture was officially announced. He spent six weeks in the hospital, during which time a French television journalist was allowed to see him, and he was visited by prominent Vietnamese figures who considered McCain to be a representative of the American military-political elite. In December 1967, having lost 26 kg and turning gray (he later received the nickname “White Tornado”), McCain was transferred to a prisoner of war camp in Hanoi, where he was cared for by his fellow prisoners.

In August 1968, McCain was subjected to constant beatings (every two hours), trying to break his will. At the same time he was suffering from dysentery. The fractures received these days led to McCain losing the ability to raise his arms above his head. He later recalled: “I learned what we all learned there: every person has his own limit. I have achieved my goal."

He claimed that every morning the guard came in and demanded that the prisoner bow to him, and, in response to his refusal, struck him in the temple. In addition, they tried to force McCain to give up military information - after another beating, he stated that he agreed to give the names of his squadron comrades, after which he listed to the Vietnamese a list of football players from the Green Bay Packers team.

Completion of military service, divorce and second marriage

After returning from captivity, McCain remained in military service. A photo of him meeting President Richard Nixon on September 14, 1973 at a White House reception became widely known (McCain was still on crutches at the time).

Political career

Congressman

With the active support of his father-in-law, McCain became involved in US political life and in November 1982 was elected to the US House of Representatives from the first congressional district of Arizona as a Republican. Two years later, he was easily re-elected to a new two-year term. McCain generally supported the political and economic policies of President Ronald Reagan. However, he voted against the presence of American Marines in Lebanon as part of the multinational force, since he did not see prospects for a US military presence in this country. This vote, which ran counter to the interests of the Republican administration, is associated with the beginning of McCain's reputation as an individualist politician. A month after this vote, American Marines suffered significant casualties in the Beirut barracks bombing, which proved McCain right.

During his time in the House of Representatives, McCain specialized in Indian issues and helped pass the Indian Territory Economic Development Act, signed into law in 1985. That same year, he visited Vietnam for the first time since captivity, along with legendary journalist Walter Cronkite.

Senator

Since 1987, McCain has served on the Senate Armed Services, Commerce, and Indian Affairs committees. In - and -2007 he was chairman of the Indian Affairs Committee, in 1997- and -2005 - chairman of the Commerce Committee. Since January 2007, he has been the senior minority representative on the Armed Services Committee.

McCain and the problem of campaign finance

At the beginning of his tenure in the Senate, McCain became involved in a high-profile political scandal associated with the activities of banker Charles Keating, who was one of his political sponsors from 1982-1987 (in total, Keating financially supported the election campaigns of five US senators - Keating Five , ). In addition, McCain and his family made at least nine trips at Keating's expense - he later returned their cost, which amounted to more than $13 thousand. When Keating began to suffer financial difficulties, McCain met repeatedly with financial regulators (overseeing US savings banks) in order to provide assistance to Keating. Support from McCain, like other senators, did not lead to any results other than moral damage for them (later finance company Keating went bankrupt, he himself spent five years in prison, although he was able to pay off most of the victims). Although McCain was not accused of illegal actions, the Senate Ethics Committee reprimanded him in connection with this story; he himself admitted the error of his behavior in this matter.

After the Keating affair, McCain began to actively criticize the influence of big money on American politics. By 1994, he and Senator Russell Feingold (D-Wis.) drafted legislation to limit political campaign contributions from corporations and other organizations, in part to avoid a repeat of Keating-type situations. The McCain-Feingold bill met strong opposition from prominent figures in both leading US parties, but received support in the media and society. In 1995, the first version of this law was introduced in the Senate, but failed in next year, the same thing happened again in 1998 and 1999. The McCain-Feingold Act was passed only in 2002 (it became known as the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act) after the scandalous Enron case, which increased public attention to the problem of corruption. This legislation is considered McCain's main achievement during his senatorial career; it also increased his fame as a "political maverick".

John McCain was very fond of the song “Take a Chance on Me” by ABBA. He promised that if he wins, “Take a Chance on Me” will be played in all the elevators of the White House. He is also known to listen to this song at high volume before important public appearances. McCain even approached ABBA for permission to use the song as their official campaign anthem, but they asked for too much money (perhaps they simply didn't want their music to be associated with Republicans).

Other aspects of activity in the Senate

In the early 1990s, McCain, together with another Vietnam War veteran, Senator John Kerry, dealt with the issue of American military personnel missing in action in Vietnam, and therefore again visited this country several times. McCain's activities contributed to the normalization of US-Vietnamese relations. During the same period, his relationship with Kerry improved - McCain had previously perceived him sharply negatively due to Kerry’s participation in the anti-war movement after returning from Vietnam.

As chairman of the Commerce Committee, McCain advocated increasing cigarette taxes to fund anti-tobacco campaigns, reduce the number of teen smokers, increase health research and offset health care costs associated with the consequences of smoking. At the same time, he received the support of the Democratic administration of Bill Clinton, but disagreed with the majority of senators from his own party - as a result, his initiative was not implemented.

Fidel Castro spoke very harshly about McCain in a number of articles specially dedicated to him under the general title “Republican Candidate”, where, in particular, he refuted McCain’s claims that the Cubans tortured American prisoners of war in Vietnam.

In one of his election proposals, McCain stated the need to create “a new UN, without Russia and China,” in his opinion it is necessary to create new organization, which would determine the policy of the “democratic part of the world community” - it could be the “League of Democracies”, uniting “more than a hundred democratic states” within its framework.

On September 24, McCain announced the suspension of his campaign due to the need to overcome the mortgage and financial crisis, but the campaign subsequently continued.

Erroneous appeal to Russia

According to the Russian news agency"News" in October 2008, McCain's campaign headquarters sent a request for financial support for the senator's election campaign to the Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the UN. In response to this, the Russian permanent mission issued a press release in which it was stated:

We received a letter from Senator John McCain asking for a financial contribution to his presidential campaign. In this regard, we would like to reiterate that neither Russian officials, nor the Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the UN, nor the Russian government finance political activities in foreign countries.

McCain's campaign said the misunderstanding was the result of a mailing program error.

Political Views

McCain advocates strengthening the US military potential, increasing the number of American armed forces and for the deployment of a missile defense system (ABM). In his opinion, "effective missile defense is critical as a hedge against potential threats emanating from possible strategic rivals such as Russia and China."

He is a proponent of liberalizing immigration laws (with some restrictions) and action to prevent global warming - on these issues his position diverges from that of the conservative majority of the Republican electorate. Unlike most of his party colleagues, he voted against the amendment to the Constitution in the Senate [ ], banning same-sex marriage, and for federal funding of a stem cell research program. At the same time, his position on a number of other significant issues - such as abortion, the death penalty, social security issues - is distinctly conservative.

Criticism of V.V. Putin

John McCain is known for his extremely negative attitude towards the strengthening, in his opinion, of the authoritarian regime in Russia and the policies of Russian President Vladimir Putin; according to Russian newspaper Izvestia, McCain is sometimes called “America’s main Russophobe.” In 2003, he stated that "U.S. foreign policy must reflect the sobering conclusion that a Russian government that does not share our most basic values ​​cannot be a friend or a partner and risks making itself an enemy by its own behavior.” In his opinion, “the creeping putsch against the forces of democracy and market capitalism in Russia threatens the foundations of US-Russian relations and raises the specter new era"cold peace" between Washington and Moscow." Playing on George W. Bush's famous remark about "Putin's soul", after meeting with Russian President in Slovenia, McCain said: “When I looked into Putin’s eyes, I saw three letters: KGB.”

In 2005, McCain, along with Senator Hillary Clinton, nominated Mikheil Saakashvili and Viktor Yushchenko for the Nobel Peace Prize. The application stated: “Awarding these two men the Nobel Peace Prize will not only honor their historic role in Georgia and Ukraine, but will also provide hope and inspiration to all those who strive for freedom in other countries where it does not exist.”

In 2007, McCain supported a bill to support Georgia and Ukraine's efforts to join NATO.