How is McCain a war hero?

Question

He got shot down captured, tortured and signed a piece of paper denouncing America's involvement in Vietnam, that action goes against Section 5 of the Military Code of Conduct.

U.S. MILITARY CODE OF CONDUCT

I. I am an American, fighting in the forces which guard my country and our way of life. I am prepared to give my life in their defense.

II. I will never surrender of my own free will. If in command, I will never surrender the members of my command while they still have the means to resist.

III. If I am captured I will continue to resist by all means available. I will make every effort to escape and to aid others to escape. I will accept neither parole nor special favors from the enemy.

IV. If I become a prisoner of war, I will keep faith with my fellow prisoners. I will give no information or take part in any action which might be harmful to my comrades. If I am senior, I will take command. If not, I will obey the lawful orders of those appointed over me and will back them up in every way.

V. When questioned, should I become a prisoner of war, I am bound to only give name, rank, service number, and date of birth. I will evade answering further questions to the utmost of my ability. I will make no oral or written statements disloyal to my country and its allies or harmful to their cause.

VI. I will never forget that I am an American, fighting for freedom, responsible for my actions, and dedicated to the principles which made my country free. I will trust in my God and in the United States of America.

In McCain's own words just four days after being captured, he admits he violated the U.S. Code of Conduct by telling his captors "O.K, I'll give you military information if you will take me to the hospital." Does that make him a war hero or a p**s poor soldier?

Answer 1

They offered to release him not long after his capture, but he chose to remain in captivity with the rest of his men.  He wouldn't allow them to release him just because his father was the Secretary of the Navy (or whatever title he held).

You'd never measure up to any such standard.

Answer 2

I think putting your life on the line for your country makes you heroic, so yes..

But I still think he'd be an awful president

Answer 3

I don't believe he gave the North Vietnamese any useful information, and his "confession" was clearly coerced. That however is irrelevant, what he did that was heroic was refuse to be released out of order, and voluntarily stayed in captivity until all the folks captured before him were released. Granted as war heroes go he's no Smedly Butler or Audie Murphy, but he is a genuine war hero...even if he seems to have learnt nothing (or all the wrong things) from the experience.

Answer 4

and when did you ever serve  the military?

did you ever say, "i won't leave here until the people who came before me leave" when you were being tortured by the vietnamese?

he is a prisoner of war. he fought hard for this country. he can't even put his hands above his head for christ's sake, who cares if he violated conduct, his life was at serious risk.he did well for this country.

Answer 5

The information he gave them about the flight corridors used by his fellow pilots caused the deaths of many men.Did he give their lives,to save his own?Puts a different perspective on it.

Answer 6

If you are tortured, you crack.  Captured US pilots in the Persian Gulf War appeared on TV denouncing their own actions rather quickly. No serious people blamed them or paid any attention to what they were saying. If I were sent to Guantanamo, I would be confessing to murdering Lincoln, if that's what they wanted.

McCain fought Bush on torture. He is a hero.