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McCain's Former Hanoi Cell Mate Describes Character in Deplorable Conditions
Fox News ^

Posted on 05/08/2008 4:40:33 PM PDT by mnehring

John McCain rarely speaks about his experiences as a POW in Vietnam, but one of his cell mates at the Hanoi Hilton on Thursday described some of the conditions and character traits that earned McCain the commendations he received for his war service.

Col. George “Bud” Day, 83, is the most decorated service man since Gen. Douglas MacArthur, with more than 70 medals. A living legend, Day was blown out of the sky two months to the day before the North Vietnamese shot down a propaganda prize, whose father and grandfather were renowned American admirals.

(Excerpt) Read more at elections.foxnews.com ...


TOPICS: Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: budday; day; mccain; pow; vietnam; vietnamvets
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To: gate2wire

I don’t think McCain would want you to vote for him just because he suffered as a POW. That also is part of his character.


21 posted on 05/08/2008 5:56:39 PM PDT by maro
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To: AmusedBystander
Good quote, updating tagline
22 posted on 05/08/2008 6:02:03 PM PDT by mnehring (We must, indeed, all hang together, or most assuredly we shall all hang separately.)
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To: guido911

I watched Colonel Day speak so proudly about his fellow prisoner of war,John McCain.For ‘longtermmemory’to begin his reply about John McCain’s military service as”very moving but irrelevant made me feel not very proud to be associated with Free Republic.Perhaps elections make people say some very harsh things.


23 posted on 05/08/2008 6:11:14 PM PDT by ardara
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To: mnehrling

My tagline is my comment.


24 posted on 05/08/2008 6:14:54 PM PDT by fightinJAG (RUSH: McCain was in the Hanoi Hilton longer than we've been in Iraq, and never gave up.)
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To: fightinJAG

Good one.


25 posted on 05/08/2008 6:17:55 PM PDT by mnehring (We must, indeed, all hang together, or most assuredly we shall all hang separately.)
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To: ardara
”very moving but irrelevant made me feel not very proud to be associated with Free Republic.

Remember, you are as much of a part as she (longtermmemory) is, so be the balance to things that don't make you proud. Yin and Yang.

26 posted on 05/08/2008 6:20:58 PM PDT by mnehring (We must, indeed, all hang together, or most assuredly we shall all hang separately.)
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To: Churchillspirit

It is the form not the substance.

The medium is the message.

It is the IDENTICAL PLAYBOOK.

McCain could easily walk up to the Podium to accept the nomination and do the same BS “John McCain reporting for duty.”

BOTH men used (using) the same methodology to conceal liberal leanings. Just because it is McCain was shot down and a POW vs Kerry finegeling purple hearts does not change the fact it is the same play. Do we forgive the thief because their victim is a scoundral?


27 posted on 05/08/2008 6:23:49 PM PDT by longtermmemmory (VOTE! http://www.senate.gov and http://www.house.gov)
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To: longtermmemmory
Do we forgive the thief because their victim is a scoundral?

I don't know, who stole from you?

28 posted on 05/08/2008 6:26:25 PM PDT by mnehring (We must, indeed, all hang together, or most assuredly we shall all hang separately.)
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To: AmusedBystander

Your statement proves the point. McCain is irrelevant in this race.

It is not about McCain vs Obama. It is about anybody but Obama.

McCain has no coat tails, McCain has no fundraising gravitas. I would submit McCain has ANTI-fundraising gravitas. To hear McCain is to cause one to close the checkbook.

This race is only about keeping the commies out.


29 posted on 05/08/2008 6:27:46 PM PDT by longtermmemmory (VOTE! http://www.senate.gov and http://www.house.gov)
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To: mnehrling
mnehrling, I have been reading some of the comments regarding McCain on this and other thread. I swear I could be reading some of the stuff from DU or KOS KIDS. Some git at The Huffington Post actually said that when the American people learned that McCain colluded with the enemy and was NOT tortured they would all change their minds about him.

If there is anything I can absolutely give him props on it is his service to country.

Hell the man can not even raise his arms above his shoulders because of what they did to him.

30 posted on 05/08/2008 6:30:51 PM PDT by mware (mware...killer of threads.)
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To: mnehrling
I don't know, who stole from you?

The RNC, they stole the GOP and gave it to left wing RINOS and the Whitless faction of closet liberals.

better to be called a scoundral conservative, than to be a scoundral RINO capitulating to socialists who live and breath the worldview of an evil USA.
31 posted on 05/08/2008 6:33:28 PM PDT by longtermmemmory (VOTE! http://www.senate.gov and http://www.house.gov)
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To: longtermmemmory
BOTH men used (using) the same methodology to conceal liberal leanings. Just because it is McCain was shot down and a POW vs Kerry finegeling purple hearts does not change the fact it is the same play. Do we forgive the thief because their victim is a scoundral?

Really I did not know until todays release from the Navy, the medals that McCain was awarded.

As to McCain being famous because he was shot down. NO that is not why, it is because he was given an out, one that even Bud Day said he could have taken, but refused the chance to come home early.

You really think Kerry would have refused that offer.

BTW he was tortured because he refused to take their offer. Bud Day confirmed that in the interview.

32 posted on 05/08/2008 6:37:23 PM PDT by mware (mware...killer of threads.)
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To: WorkingClassFilth

BTTT!


33 posted on 05/08/2008 6:38:41 PM PDT by dforest (I had almost forgotten that McCain is the nominee. Too bad I was reminded.)
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To: mware
NO that is not why, it is because he was given an out, one that even Bud Day said he could have taken, but refused the chance to come home early. You really think Kerry would have refused that offer.

You realize that there was an official Code of Conduct for the release of POWs, don't you? They got released in the order of capture. To have accepted the release offered by the VC would have been a direct violation of ORDERS. McCain followed orders--as did hundreds of others.

34 posted on 05/08/2008 6:49:00 PM PDT by calcowgirl ("Liberalism is just Communism sold by the drink." P. J. O'Rourke)
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To: calcowgirl
Yes he followed orders as did so many other POW's. It does not make what he and the rest of those men suffered any less honorable.

Especially when he was being compared to Kerry who while they were being tortured and earning real purple hearts, was in Paris negotiation with North Vietnam.

35 posted on 05/08/2008 6:54:20 PM PDT by mware (mware...killer of threads.)
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To: longtermmemmory
Very moving but irrelevant.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

No, not irrelevant. It's relevant. But it's not as relevant as his voting record or his statements regarding political ideology. It's ok to dislike the man. I don't care for him much either. But give the man credit where he earns it.

36 posted on 05/08/2008 7:02:33 PM PDT by mamelukesabre (Quantum materiae materietur marmota monax si marmota monax materiam possit materiari?)
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To: mnehrling

I owe it all to El Rushbo!


37 posted on 05/08/2008 7:33:11 PM PDT by fightinJAG (RUSH: McCain was in the Hanoi Hilton longer than we've been in Iraq, and never gave up.)
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To: mware
Yes he followed orders as did so many other POW's. It does not make what he and the rest of those men suffered any less honorable.

You said he was famous for it--as if it was something beyond the call of duty and something others did not do, which simply was not the case. Your post:

"As to McCain being famous because he was shot down. NO that is not why, it is because he was given an out, one that even Bud Day said he could have taken, but refused the chance to come home early."
He followed orders.

As to John Kerry, I don't hold him as a standard. But I think McCain singing to the communists, giving them military secrets, and making two dozen propaganda tapes for our enemy, probably trumps the Paris talks.

McCain served... he was shot down... he survived. I wouldn't wish that on anyone. But his record couldn't hold a candle to that of Bud Day.

38 posted on 05/08/2008 7:47:02 PM PDT by calcowgirl ("Liberalism is just Communism sold by the drink." P. J. O'Rourke)
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To: calcowgirl
As to John Kerry, I don't hold him as a standard. But I think McCain singing to the communists, giving them military secrets, and making two dozen propaganda tapes for our enemy, probably trumps the Paris talks.

You must be kidding me right???? Just what did they do to Kerry to make him go to Paris, "wearing military fatigues btw".

39 posted on 05/08/2008 8:01:28 PM PDT by mware (mware...killer of threads.)
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To: mnehrling

For reference by the forum:

American Patriot: The Life and Wars of Colonel Bud Day
by Robert Coram
http://www.amazon.com/American-Patriot-Life-Wars-Colonel/dp/0316758477/ref=ed_oe_h

BookTV (C-Span2 weekends) page on “American Patriot”
http://www.booktv.org/program.aspx?ProgramId=8286&SectionName=Public%20Lives&PlayMedia=No

My (VOA’s) comment:
I read “American Patriot” after seeing the segment on it on Book TV
(C-Span 2 weekends).
My own impression of Col. Bud Day’s take on John McCain during their
stay at The Hanoi Hilton was: McCain was a mixed bag in Day’s appraisal.
The Positives on McCain: Bulldog tough, didn’t take advantage of
offers from the North Vietnamese, and hanged tough when the going was rough.
The Negatives: a womanizer, and usually “playing to the crowd”, and
also “MIA” following the war as concerned veteran reunions, etc.

Those are just my inexpert impressions.
And I have to admit that having been mildly suprised to see Col. Bud
Day on a podium with Senator McCain during the Iowa primary, (both
in fighter pilot jackets)...I think I made the same calculation that
Col. Day made:
McCain isn’t perfect.
McCain has flaws.
But his positives exceed his negatives.
AND
McCain’s positives FAR exceed Hillary!/Obama’s.
McCain’s negatives are less than Hillary!/Obama’s.

I know I’m being VERY presumptuous to assume why Col. Day has turned
out as a real supporter of McCain.
But, given the flawed world we live in and the limitations of the
process for selecting our candidates...
I’ll just have to follow two guiding principles for the November Election:
1. Trust Col. Day’s judgement
2. Hold my nose in voting for McCain despite his negatives.

It’s a pretty unpalatable situation.
But that’s my personal approach to the situation.


40 posted on 05/08/2008 8:06:21 PM PDT by VOA
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