Any man who survives a prison camp in the hands of an enemy with no value for humanity deserves a quiet nod of respect.
Beyond that, further respect must be earned by wisdom and wise actions. It is here that Mr McCain has shown himself to be eligible only for the Little Leagues.
Time for the Assisted Living facility.
And I say this as a retired Airman who served for 22 years...
When you're on a combat flying mission, you're no less a warrior than a man on the ground with a rifle, a cannon, a missile in the tube or a sailor on deck, plunging into harm's way.
When you are a flyer/pilot/aviator/air crewmen over enemy territory, performing your mission of bombing, strafing, dogfighting, reconnaissance, whatever, you are in harm's way and planes that get shot or take flak can break, become non-function and crash. You have two choices, go down with the wreck, hoping you can get it operational again or “land” it, or you can bail out. The first is very likely to get you killed and the second is just normally likely to get you killed.
Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Thailand were covered with crashed US aircraft and most crews who crashed died. The majority that is. Only a few are “lucky” to survive, and many are severely injured.
So it was with McCain. The missile that hit his plane also hurt him, he bailed and was further injured on bailing and landing. Multiple broken bones, lacerations and trauma. This happened to him because he was fighting for his country. Say what you will about his foolishness now, but that in itself was heroic.
Of course he was captured, denied medical attention by a horrible enemy, tortured, was prisoner of war for many years, etc., etc., but to me what made him a hero was not being captured or being a prisoner, but willing to get in a rocket with wings and fly around while people tried to actively kill you, and, as it turned out, nearly did, with terrible, painful injuries he's still suffering from today.
I wish he'd resign his seat in the Senate, though. He's worse than useless there.