Posted on 09/01/2018 4:36:21 PM PDT by Ceebass
John McCain is being hailed by the press as a "genuine war hero." But is he a war hero in the conventional sense like Audie Murphy and John Glenn? Or is his "war hero" status the creation of a very slick publicity campaign that plays on flag, duty, honor and country?
For sure, McCain has the fruit salad - a Silver Star, a Legion of Merit for Valor, a Distinguished Flying Cross, three Bronze Stars, two Commendation medals plus two Purple Hearts and a dozen service gongs. On a purely medal-count basis, he outweighs Murphy and Glenn, who both for years repeatedly performed extraordinary deeds on the ground or in the air against an armed enemy.
McCain's valor awards are based on what happened in 1967, when during his 23rd mission over Vietnam, he was shot down, seriously injured, captured and brutally imprisoned for 5 1/2 years.
I asked his Senate office three times to provide copies of the narratives for each medal. I'm still waiting. From the Pentagon, I received a recap of his medals and many of the narratives that give the details of what he did.
Only the DFC was for heroism over the battlefield - where he spent no more than 20 hours. Two Navy officers described the awards as "boilerplate" and "part of an SOP medal package given to repatriated (Vietnam-era) POWs."
McCain's Silver Star narrative for the period from Oct. 27, 1967 - the day after he was shot down - to Dec. 8, 1968, reads: "His captors ... subjected him to extreme mental and physical cruelties in an attempt to obtain military information and false confessions for propaganda purposes. Through his resistance to those brutalities, he contributed significantly towards the eventual abandonment" of such harsh treatment by the North Vietnamese.
Yet McCain admitted that just four days after being captured he violated the U.S. Code of Conduct by telling his captors "OK, I'll give you military information if you will take me to the hospital."
A Vietnam vet detractor says: "He received the nation's third-highest award, the Silver Star, for treason. He provided aid and comfort to the enemy!"
The rest of his valor awards - issued automatically every year while he was a POW - read much like the Silver Star. More boilerplate often repeating the exact same words.
McCain's conduct while a POW negates these glowing comments. The facts are that he signed a confession and declared himself a "black criminal who performed deeds of an air pirate." This statement and other interviews he gave to the Communist press were used as propaganda to fan the flames of the anti-war movement.
Accounts by McCain and other writers tell of the horrors he endured: relentless beatings, torture, broken limbs. All inflicted during savage interrogations. Yet no other POW was a witness to these accounts.
A former POW says, "No man witnessed another man during interrogations. ... We relied on each other to tell the truth when a man was returned to his cell."
The Navy says two eyewitnesses are required for any award of heroism. Only McCain and his captors witnessed the behavior for which the awards were granted.
Our POWs in Vietnam were treated appallingly. The Viets would either break a POW or kill him. POWs provided information beyond name, rank and serial number or they didn't come back.
Based on these stalwart men's horrific experiences, the Code of Conduct has been changed. Now troops are trained to give (the enemy) something and not "to risk permanent damage to health, mind or body."
McCain refused an early release. An act of valor? Three former POWs told me he was ordered to turn it down by his U.S. POW commander, and he "just followed orders."
McCain certainly doesn't appear to be a war hero by conventional standards, but rather a tough survivor whose handlers are overplaying the war hero card.
Thank you. I shared that with many people. This is never spoken of in the MSM. Obviously it doesn’t fit their narrative.
To the typical liberal, having the “courage” to even join, or be in, the military makes one a hero.
I spent four years in the Air Force, but I hardly ever wear anything in public, like my USAF baseball cap, that advertises that I’m a veteran.
It’s actually a little embarrassing to me when people walk up and say, “Thank you for your service.”. Of course, I come from a time when a young man could be drafted into the service, although I wasn’t. It was, more or less, expected of you to serve your time if you were mentally, and physically, able. The time was 1964-1968.
Technically, that made me a “Vietnam ERA veteran”, although I never went to Southeast Asia. I was in Germany, chasing Frauleins, going to been and wine fests, and enjoying the tourism.
But that is a long way from making me a “hero”. I spent my time in Colorado, Maine, and Germany. As a missile guidance technician, I worked indoors - for the most part. In Maine, and German, me and some others formed a band, and played at clubs and other events. We had a ball.
That was made possible by the Air Force being like a regular “job”, 8-to-5...and a permanent pass.
Now, I think jets, and fighter pilots or cool guys, I was around them a lot while debriefing them on their sorties, but unless they did something “heroic”, I never considered them “heroes”.
From what I’ve read, McCain was a major f**k-up...last in his class, careless flyer, hot-dogger who loved to do “buzz the tower” antics, and show off for attention - all the time knowing “Daddy” would bail him out if he go into trouble.
His temper was classic “spoiled child” when he didn’t get his way, or the attention he though he deserved. And, getting shot down, and captured, including nothing heroic.
I’ve heard the “tape” he made for the Viet Cong, and “heroes” don’t help the enemy produce propaganda.
Hero, I don’t think so. His handle, “Maverick”, came not from his courage, but from his penchant for showing off and getting his way. All of the other was media-created, and campaign related to help him get elected.
I have, and have never had, any respect for the man...and never will.
He was a mediocre pilot and a mediocre Senator.
He deserves the honors of any pilot and Senator who served.
But no more. Not this frickin’ show that they’ve put on for him this week.
What a stupid question.
Have you ever worn a uniform?
Nope. Just a Army brat.
Father raised me.
Full bird. 35 yr vet.
Patton’s Third Army, 6 Armored Div.
Korean, and Vietnam.
I fly HIS 5x9 flag that was handed
over to me every day. And I’ll hand
it on down to my son.
Probably doesn’t measure up to your
standards, but thanks for asking.
He was.an A-4 driver. Light.attack bomb delivery.
Thanks man. I never knew what aircraft we flew then. Just a kid.
Thanks again.
If true, you have to wonder why McCain “forgave” his captors in 1995 when the USA and Vietnam restored diplomatic relations.
From memory - there were several dozen USA pilot POWs who were known to be alive at various times, but who disappeared without a trace.
Presumably, many of them were murdered by the same captors McCain forgave.
Hackworth is one interesting soldier. Read his books.
That depends on their agenda at the time. Only when it furthers their agenda do they say a person is a hero for serving in the military. The left is quick to say people only join the military because they have no other options. Most on the left believe only low intelligence people with no ambition join the military.
I truly believe the left is all about money and power, and any issue they act like they care about is to further their agenda. I do not believe they care at all about blacks, illegals, women, gays, all the genders, ETC. Those are just issues/groups they can use to gain money and power.
The left has moved so far away from patriotism in recent years, and is vocal to put this country down at every turn. Yet they have now put on their act of patriotism, military appreciation- for McCain. Why? Because they think it furthers their agenda against Trump. The only reason.
That is never going to happen because too many people lied and covered for too long
Trump will be told to keep the truth buried for the good of the republic
As the son of a Navy Admiral, his goal was politics and accepting that early release would have been an end to his political career before it even began.......
Regarding the alleged tortures, I question that too. The Vietnamese knew who he was thus they offered to release him. It wouldn't have served their propaganda attempts by torturing him.......
I refused to piss on the grave of a dead man - then his friends and family did it for me....poetic.....
Anyone have video of Jane Fonda’s Eulogy of McCain?
TREASON!
Well, he did take out five of ours. That makes him an Ace, right? For the other side.
One of my brothers was a German POW during WWII and while he wasn’t tortured as the VC did he could speak German and he reported to the Allied camp commander what he heard the guards were saying without the Germans knowing of his ability...
It appears a lot of Officers created their own medals and the real fighters had to earn theirs.
Near bottom of his class, 4/5 planes wrecked lost because of his ‘doings’..100+ men died on that carrier some say bcuz of him..Leaves a disabled / disfigured wife for a millionairess gal bout half his age??
Yup that’s McShamey
No. And this funeral hoopla was a farce.
This is what they are doing now in our schools and university’s!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.