The information is from Wikipedia, so TIFWIW, but it seems he was mobbed, beaten and bayoneted upon his capture, and his shoulder was broken by a rifle butt.
After that he was beaten and tortured pretty much daily for five and a half years. At one point he did apparently break and sign a propaganda statement (written in Vietnamese). For whatever reason, the NVA decided that they couldn't use it - probably because it was in Vietnamese - and they wanted him to sign a second statement. He refused and was beaten and tortured some more for refusing.
He was offered repatriation early on, when the NVA found out that his father was an admiral. He refused and spent the next five years getting wall-to-wall counseling from the guards.
Signing the statement wasn't treason - anyone will break eventually under torture. The practical interpretation of the Code of Conduct anticipates this. The standard is if you break - get back on the horse and try again.
Bottom line is, he went through a special circle of Hell that most people cannot even imagine. However, as the saying goes, that is going to leave a scar. The mental scars are what I suspect lie at the root of his behavior, which some describe as "maverick", others as "mercurial", but to me are plain unstable.
Sarge, I thank you for your synopsis of Mr. McCain's dubious career and service. Many, including myself consider him quite a military hero and brave beyond my own capabilities. He has earned great respect for his service and bravery not only the during bombing of his navel ship or his years in captivity. My hat will always come off in his presence.
I cannot with good conscience recommend he further his career in the Senate or a possible run for POTUS. Mental scars or not, his time in leadership can be remembered with respect at this point, but not beyond.
There are some veterans that agree with your sentiments and there are some who don't.
With all due respect, sincerely Sir, I appreciate your your comments. I am a female who did not serve as I was still too young. I lost over a half dozen of friends who served in Viet Nam from 1969 to 1971. I will never forget them or their faces as I said good bye for what I now know would be the last time I would see them alive.
Thank you for your post.
McCain earned his stripes the hard way, and I think he is brave beyond belief. That said, he will destroy the Republican party if he is the nominee for President. He is divisive, petty, and downright mean-spirited, not a concensus builder or a deep thinker. McCain has too many negatives to overcome to be a viable candidate, a lot like Gingrich has.