McCain was no hero.
Just a stupid SOB who got his ass shot down.
Like I said, I don’t believe it anymore.
I wouldn’t classify him as a hero. But it has been reported that he was offered repatriation because he was the son of an Admiral. He chose to decline and remain with the other prisoners. It isn’t ‘hero’ stuff in the conventional sense but it did show loyalty and determination.
That said, it is likely his ingrained stubborn temper that drove him to that, and his years since have just shown, me anyway, that he is just completely crazy.