I was able to find McCain’s account of his POW experience in his own words. His shoulder injury, as well most of his other injuries, occurred as a result of ejecting from his aircraft.
Other than that his alleged torture experience may have aggravated those injuries and broken some ribs and teeth.
I also erred in saying his father was a Senator. He was a Navy Admiral. When the N. Viets found out, they put him in a hospital. We have only McCain’s account for what did or did not happen in that hospital.
They offered to release him, but McCain refused. By his own account it seems clear he was treated a bit differently after that than the other POWs.
McCain’s belief that what America did is any way shape or form on a par with torture by totalitarian regime’s is pure fantasy. And then to say that had we not done what we did things would have changed for the better with the Islamoterrorists is pure sophistry.
I will not give McCain the benefit of any doubt. I do not know what he was like prior to his POW experience. I do know his elected office career has turned into one very large travesty. Whether his mind was addled or he was turned in captivity is of no interest to me.
What is clear to me is that much of his behavior in office has been shabby at best and traitorous at worst.
As for Johnson and McNamara, I share your disdain for those two losers.
Thanks for the look-up. We share a lot in common about McCain and his leadership lacks.
My family is Navy/Marine since the Revolutionary War. So we know/knew all about all the McCains, grandpa, pa, and John. McCain’s book is about him, and as you say, selective and not complete. He was offered an early release once the N.V.A. knew who he was— and did not take it in exchange for a confessional. There are no witnesses to this, but he was put into solitary and beaten daily for 2 years of the 5.5 years he was there. He was repeatedly hung up by his arms from behind.
All that aside, his actions re: POWs/MIAs, his reconciliation with Vietnam trade, his constant “reaching across the aisle” to the liberals... all of it adds up to no good. The need to reconcile or ‘reach out’ I think comes from his imprisonment- how to get along with the guards- and from his shame he felt towards his father who was COMPAC. For whatever warping the viets caused I hate them, and for what the did to all our guys- they can go to hell with Jane Fonda. But warped I think he is.