Posted on 05/08/2008 7:51:34 AM PDT by tlb
WASHINGTON (AP) - John McCain's Navy record boils down to a series of unadorned paragraphs that bestow upon him some of the nation's top military honors.
The Navy recently released McCain's military record - most of it citations for medals during his Navy career - after a Freedom of Information Act request by The Associated Press.
McCain was awarded a Silver Star Medal for resisting "extreme mental and physical cruelties" inflicted upon him by his captors from late October to early December 1967, the early months of his captivity, according to the citation. The North Vietnamese, according to the Navy, ignored international agreements and tortured McCain "in an attempt to obtain military information and false confessions for propaganda purposes."
His captors tortured him and held him in solitary confinement. Still, he declined an offer of early release until those who had been at the prison longer than him were let go.
That decision earned McCain a Navy Commendation Medal. Although McCain was "crippled from serious and ill-treated injuries," he steadfastly refused offers of freedom from those holding him prisoner. "His selfless action served as an example to others and his forthright refusal, by giving emphasis to the insidious nature of such releases, may have prevented a possibly chaotic deterioration in prisoner discipline," the citation says.
McCain attended the U.S. Naval Academy from 1954 to 1958, and was commissioned as an ensign in June of that year. He retired in April 1981 with the rank of captain. In that time he received 17 awards and decorations. Besides the Silver Star Medal, McCain also received the Legion of Merit with a combat "V" and one gold star, a Distinguished Flying Cross and a Bronze Star Medal with a combat "V" and two gold stars.
(Excerpt) Read more at apnews.myway.com ...
What happens to his sons when he becomes President?
Anybody know?
Arriana Huffington and her screed of a rag need to be pilloried.
She’s a disgusting little turd.
There, fixed it for you.
The MSM will leave no stone unturned in their effort to help elect him.
And perhaps you'd have killed yourself and then we wouldn't be enjoying your opinion.
The Associated Press requested his record under the Freedom of Information Act. McCain himself did not release this to the news.
IOW, they would - and should - be taken out of harms way so the President wouldn't be faced with the ultimate hostage crisis.
Good enough for me to hold my nose and vote for the lib.
Only McCain himself can blow his chances for beating Obama.
Obama can’t beat him, he can only beat himself.
This is interesting. Thanks for posting.
For me and a whole lot of other folks, all three of the current candidates don't deserve to be President.
You are quickly becoming an insufferable bore.
You don’t even come close. If you hate the guy, fine, hate him; but to think that you are his equal is crap.
I’m not in love with the guy, but if he can appoint conservative Supreme Court judges, prosecute the war, and maybe can be brow beaten into a border fence, then that’s what we’ve got to work with.
I don’t know of many who could carry his jock strap as a military hero.
“He won’t pound his own chest....”
He can’t. His arms were so injured that he can’t make that move.
Plus let’s not forget that Ted Kennedy managed to launch a floor fight in 1980, despite the fact that he only had 1/3 of the delegates and no real case for being more electable than Carter. Hillary, meanwhile, has a delegate percentage deep in the forties and has a clear case for being a stronger nominee than Barry.
I think Obama will be the nominee, but there will definitely be a floor fight...and riots.
That’s not nearly all of his record. I don’t see any FITREPs (performance appraisals) for example.
Due to privacy rules, complete military records cannot be released without the consent of the military member. Unless McCain signs the same form Kerry has refused to sign (SF-180, I believe) we won’t get McCain’s complete record either. It will be interesting to see if the media pressures McCain to release the same records that Kerry refused to.
The media is poised to take anything they can find and use it to sink McCain. They chose him as the Republican candidate, had a love affair with him in the primaries (I suppose they thought he’d be the easiest to beat) and are now ready to get down and dirty.
Sure, there are the Duncan Hunters of the world.
There are also the John Glenns.
As a Naval Officer, John McCain served this great republic with honor and distinction.
As a Senator ... not so much.
(And yes, I know: clinton/obama is beyond disgusting.)
“...all three of the current candidates don’t deserve to be President.”
So....stay home.
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