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For me, I really have absolutely zero capability to evaluate either of those things on him, even in retrospect. I was a measly Airman Apprentice spending a few months at a training squadron before going on to the Fleet.

I think I might have been a little different than many of the guys there with me in that squadron, because knew who McCain was before I joined the Navy, when I was a kid as a military brat living in Yokosuka and Subic. We were all tied in to the POW situation, and we knew of his father as CINCPAC, and also were aware when his son got shot down. We had the POW wrist bracelets, and when some of them flew into Andrews AFB, we were part of the crowd to meet them.

So, I knew who McCain was, and I found him on observation to be completely flat, almost a husk of a man. Never said anything or addressed the squadron that I remember. He did an inspection once where we were all lined up outside the hanger, and he came up to each man looked him over briefly, and went to the next man. I saw him say something inaudible to one guy down the line from me, it sounded mumbled.

And his hair was snow white, not right for his age, and a bit longish for someone in his position. And he had very dark eyes.

But the thing that stuck with me most was one time I went up the administrative part of the hangar where the offices and such were, and it was in the middle of the day with no lights on in the passageway. lit by the windows at each end so it was kind of dim in the middle. And this was a big hangar, so it seemed really far when came up the steps and looked down the hallway.

There was someone standing at the scuttlebutt about 3/4 of the way down, and as I approached, he remained motionless the whole time. When I got close enough, I realized it was McCain, and he was just standing there with the water running, looking at it.

Now, I know when I turn on a water fountain, I let it run to make sure the water is as cold as possible before I drink. But I was probably 20 feet from him before he bent and drank.

It seemed to me he was completely zoned out there, looking at the water. I didn’t then, but now I often wonder if that was a holdover from being a POW when you had to ask for water, and they would give you warm, crappy, nasty water. Here he was, only a couple of years out, holding down a lever watching crisp, clean, cold water run out, as much as you want, whenever you want.

I abhor and dislike his politics. I wouldn’t give up in my neutral view of him for a long time, until one Freeper gently and considerately sent me a FreepMail and set me straight. He wasn’t nasty, and I got the impression he understood my mindset. In retrospect it is several things:

1.) My loyalty (which occasionally for me isn’t a virtue, but becomes a vice instead and works against me) to a Naval Officer (not necessarily McCain in particular) and the Naval Service.

2.) My knowledge and appreciation of the sacrifices made by our POWs

3.) My Naval upbringing and service, which instilled in me an unconscious appreciation of chain of command, protocol and tradition.

All three of these got in the way of my being able to condemn McCain the politician. I owe that Freeper a debt of gratitude. Sometimes when people come right at me, I dig my heels in and fight. This guy just communicated evenly and personally. I appreciated that.