john+MCcain++John+Cook

I am going to be writing an essay on John MCcain during the 1960"s.On October 26,1967,MCcain was flying as a part of a 20 plane attack on a power plant in central Hanoi.MCcain's A-4 Skyhawk was shot down by a Soviet- made SA-2 anti aircraft while pulling up after dropping his bombs.McCain fractured both arms and a leg while being hit and ejected from his plane.He almost drowned after he parachuted into a Truc Bach lake in Hanoi. After he regained consiosness a mob gathered around him ,kicked him ,spat on him and stripped him of his clothing. Others crushed his shoulder with the but of a rifle and bayoneted him in his left foot and abdominal area; he was then transported to Hanoi's main prision.Although McCain was badly injured his captures refused to put him in a hospital,deciding he would soon die.They beat and interogated him but McCain only offered his name ,rank,serial number ,and date of birth.When the North Vietmamies discovered that McCains father was top admiral did they give him medical attention and announce his capture.

McCain spent six weeks in a hospital, recieving marginal care. He was interviewed by a French television reporter. Now,after having lost 50 pounds in a chest cast, and his hair turned white he was sent to a POW camp in Hanoi in december 1967 into a cell with two other Americans who did not excpect him to live a week, they nursed McCain and kept him alive. In March 1968 McCain was put into solitary confinment where he would be for two years. In July,1968 McCain's father was named Commander-In -Chief pacific commander stationed in Honolulu and commander of all U.S. forces in vietnam theater. McCain was immediatly offered a chance to return home early. The North Vietnam wanted a mercy propaganda coup for the outside world, and a message that only privilage mattered that they could use against the POW's. McCain declined the offer and stuck to the code of Conduct first in,first out: he would only take the offer if every man were takin in before him were released.McCain's refusel to be released was even remarked upon by North Vietnamese officials to U.S. envoy Averell Harriman at the ongoing Paris Peace Talks.



In August 1968, a victorous torture methods began on McCain,using rope binding into painful positions and beatings every two hours ,and he was also suffering from dysentery. Teeth and bones were broken as was McCain's spirit ; the begginings of suicide attempts were stopped by guards. McCain's injuries to this day still keep him from raising his arms above his head. On one occasion when McCain was physically coerced to give the names of his Squadron,he supplied them with the names of the Green Bay Packers offensive line.

Altogether McCain was held as prisioner of war for 5 and a half years. McCain was finally released from prison on March 15, 1973 nearly spending an extra 5 years in a POW camp for turning down the out of sequence resparation offer.

Nice job. 96-CP