John McCain and the Church Riots: A Firsthand Account

I visited one of my favorite sites this morning, American Thinker and found this piece written by one of John McCain's co-prisoners of war. James H. Warner is a retired attorney. He was a Marine officer who flew F-4s in Vietnam. Captured in 1967, he was imprisoned until 1973. He served as a domestic policy adviser to President Ronald Reagan from 1985 until 1989.

After reading this, I have come to the conclusion that I and many, many others here on ATS may very well owe John McCain an apology. I wanted to post the entire article but knowing ATS policy of limiting copy and paste from other sites, even though I highly recommend everyone go to the link and read this in it's entirety, I'll post a few segments here.

www.americanthinker.com...

I met John McCain for the first time in the courtyard of the Hanoi Hilton, 47 years ago. I considered him a friend until his death. We frequently disagreed on political policies and tactics, but I have known few men whom I have respected as much as John McCain. My respect was based on the circumstances under which I met him. In 1970, I was one of 57 American prisoners of war (POWs) held at a camp 25 miles northwest of Hanoi, called Son Tay.

Unlike our earlier stay, this time, we were in large cells, and we met POWs we hadn't come across before. We immediately began to organize. We established communication throughout the camp and began holding classes of every kind as well as religious services. On January 1, 1971, our captors announced that we could not continue to hold these services.

After taking away the senior four men in that cell, that left Air Force colonel George E. "Bud" Day as the senior man. Bud was the most decorated warrior in American history and no shrinking violet. But even he was not the leading troublemaker in that cell. That was John McCain.

We knew that the next provocation was likely to initiate serious retaliation. Nevertheless, at 10:00 the next morning, the men in Room 7 sang "Onward Christian Soldiers" at the top of their lungs. This was open defiance of camp regulations. At noon, they sang every verse of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic."

By tapping on the wall, the men next door told us that the singing had been organized not by Bud Day, but by John McCain.

That night, March 19, 1971, they took 36 of us out of our cells after dark and seated us in the courtyard. Our arms were tied behind us, our hands were tied in front of us, and we were blindfolded. The man next to me nudged me and said, "Who are you?" "I am Jim Warner. Who are you?" He replied, "I'm John McCain."

He also muttered a line from the poem "Horatius at the Bridge" in Macaulay's Lays of Ancient Rome: "How better for man to die than in facing fearful odds, for the ashes of his fathers and the altars of his gods."

Mods, I have tried to limit copy/paste here and I hope you won't trash the post for being too much.

I encourage everyone to open the link and read the entire article. It could be enlightening to some here and maybe we owe John McCain just a little consideration and benefit of the doubt.

www.americanthinker.com...

a reply to: CharlesT

Yeah, but he got captured.

I like the people that were not captured.

a reply to: CharlesT


Of course John McCain should be remembered for his actions while in the military.
That being said, his military career shouldn't make us gloss over his political career.

I have heard it said that during the presidential election where he was the republican "rino" of the hour, that most people that voted republican were "voting for palin and a heart attack"

a reply to: CharlesT

He went against Donald Trump, so everything else he’s ever done has been invalidated.

Welcome to 2018.

originally posted by: Bluntone22
a reply to: CharlesT


Of course John McCain should be remembered for his actions while in the military.
That being said, his military career shouldn't make us gloss over his political career.

I have heard it said that during the presidential election where he was the republican "rino" of the hour, that most people that voted republican were "voting for palin and a heart attack"

Problem is there has been so much unsubstantiated slander posted here and just maybe, members here should forgo posting if they are not doing so with solid evidence to back their claims. I'm guilty of that as well. I have harbored a negative opinion of McCain in the past but it is mostly an ignorant opinion that is based mostly on hearsay rather than factual evidence. Yes, he was a rino in the Senate that supported ever conflict but I think his time as a POW drove him insane to the point of doing all he could to crush any opponent he foresaw to be an enemy or threat to the US. Was he a perfect saint, of the Devil incarnate? Probably neither! As we all, he was a man influenced be his life experiences and I can only wonder how I would have turned out if I had been in his situation. I was in the AF during that period but I was sent to Iceland instead. Often wish I had experienced Vietnam first hand. It may have made profound changes in my life as well.

The first comment sums up how I feel about the article quite nicely. If he was such a principled man and all those nice words were true of McCain at one point in his life...what went sideways...where did it go wrong.

As another commenter wrote...his actions were out of his hatred of authority...which he showed in the military in the first place...always doing his own thing. If the Vietnamese guards had loved Corn Flakes he would have rallied against them instead of religion. This sounds like a more accurate portrayal of the man I saw.

We dare judge John McCain ?.... He is now, and forever facing his actions in a greater court. Who can really guess and know His motivations.

Shortly He will rest in the annals of time and nothing more, as His name is forgotten in time.

I'm grateful for John McCain's military service.

I am not grateful for his political career.

originally posted by: CharlesT

originally posted by: Bluntone22
a reply to: CharlesT


Of course John McCain should be remembered for his actions while in the military.
That being said, his military career shouldn't make us gloss over his political career.

I have heard it said that during the presidential election where he was the republican "rino" of the hour, that most people that voted republican were "voting for palin and a heart attack"

Problem is there has been so much unsubstantiated slander posted here and just maybe, members here should forgo posting if they are not doing so with solid evidence to back their claims. I'm guilty of that as well. I have harbored a negative opinion of McCain in the past but it is mostly an ignorant opinion that is based mostly on hearsay rather than factual evidence. Yes, he was a rino in the Senate that supported ever conflict but I think his time as a POW drove him insane to the point of doing all he could to crush any opponent he foresaw to be an enemy or threat to the US. Was he a perfect saint, of the Devil incarnate? Probably neither! As we all, he was a man influenced be his life experiences and I can only wonder how I would have turned out if I had been in his situation. I was in the AF during that period but I was sent to Iceland instead. Often wish I had experienced Vietnam first hand. It may have made profound changes in my life as well.

Agreed. Very well written post.

If so many people think so highly of him because of his service, why are so many veterans treated so poorly now ?

If so many people think so highly of him because of his service, why are so many veterans treated so poorly now ?

originally posted by: underwerks
a reply to: CharlesT

He went against Donald Trump, so everything else he’s ever done has been invalidated.

Welcome to 2018.

I never thought I was see a comment this daft. I was wrong.

originally posted by: network dude

originally posted by: underwerks
a reply to: CharlesT

He went against Donald Trump, so everything else he’s ever done has been invalidated.

Welcome to 2018.

I never thought I was see a comment this daft. I was wrong.

It was 100% true. It's a shame you can't see that.

a reply to: Jefferton

It was 100% true. It's a shame you can't see that.

BS. John McCain has a long political career filled with objectionable positions. He was a political opportunist who never missed an opportunity to enrich himself at taxpayers expense. He then sold out our policy to ISIS in Syria to try and fail to achieve regime change.

Why do liberals act like nothing happened before Trump?

Trump is the first actual and REAL change I've seen, politically and by policy, since George W. Bush's first term.

originally posted by: Jefferton

originally posted by: network dude

originally posted by: underwerks
a reply to: CharlesT

He went against Donald Trump, so everything else he’s ever done has been invalidated.

Welcome to 2018.

I never thought I was see a comment this daft. I was wrong.

It was 100% true. It's a shame you can't see that.

so since John McCain was a POW, nobody is allowed to discuss his politics? He was a bad politician long before Trump was president. But McCain did serve and deserved respect for his service to our nation. It's a shame you can't see past what you are told to think. That is truly pathetic.

originally posted by: Jefferton

originally posted by: network dude

originally posted by: underwerks
a reply to: CharlesT

He went against Donald Trump, so everything else he’s ever done has been invalidated.

Welcome to 2018.

I never thought I was see a comment this daft. I was wrong.

It was 100% true. It's a shame you can't see that.

John McCain, the politician, wasn’t liked by many on all sides, LONG before POTUS 45 flipped the apple cart. As many said already, a great warrior, a not so great politician, and I’ll add - definitely A GREAT ADVERTISEMENT FOR TERM LIMITS!