Was John McCain a Hero?

One of Donald Trump’s (many) controversial statements is his recurring assertion that John McCain is not, in spite of conventional wisdom, a war hero.

Prior to his election as president, he said: “He’s not a war hero. He’s a war hero because he was captured. I like people who weren’t captured.”

Trump has repeated this opinion over the years, even throughout McCain’s battle with brain cancer, and though he was unusually silent at the time of McCain’s death, he doesn’t appear to have changed his stance.

Trump has been strongly criticized by figures across the entire political spectrum for these statements. In fact, some of the strongest defenses of McCain’s heroism came from the Left.

(I remember a couple of my friends who voted Democrat saying that if more Republicans were as reasonable as John McCain, they would likely vote for them. Of course when McCain became the Republican nominee for President in 2008, he suddenly became unreasonable in their eyes.)

But how do we decide whether McCain, or anyone else, is a hero?

Trump is at least partially right. No one becomes a hero just because they face adversity. So we have to look at other criteria.

Although there are several qualities that are associated with heroism, some of the most common are:

• Courage/Bravery
• Selflessness/Sacrifice
• Perseverance/Determination
• Integrity/Conviction

In addition to the qualities/virtues that a hero exhibits, generally they must also show effectiveness/capability through their achievements.

So how did John McCain stack up against these measures of heroism? Unfortunately, like most of reality, the answer is complicated.

Based on the best evidence we have,here are some of the basic facts concerning his service in Vietnam:

• McCain was commissioned as a naval aviator after graduation from the U.S. Naval Academy.
• He was apparently, at best, never more than a mediocre pilot.
• He volunteered for combat duty.
• He was shot down during a bombing mission in 1967, and was captured by the North Vietnamese.
• He was a prisoner of war for over five years, and was severely tortured.
• The North Vietnamese offered McCain early release, apparently for propaganda purposes.
• He refused to be released ahead of other prisoners who had been imprisoned longer, which apparently lead to even more torture.
• Eventually, under repeated torture, McCain broke, signing an anti-U.S. propaganda confession.
• There are multiple stories, from throughout his career, of McCain putting himself at risk to save or support others.

McCain repeatedly claimed that he did not consider himself a hero, in spite of the large number of people who did, because of his failure under torture.

On the other hand, the U.S. Military recognized him as a hero, awarding him a Silver Star, two Purple Hearts, a Distinguished Flying Cross, three Bronze Stars, and two Legion of Merit medals.

Although being captured does not make McCain a hero, volunteering for the combat duty that ultimately led to that capture implies some level of courage. He was definitely willing to sacrifice his own safety and comfort on behalf of others.

He endured horrible, extended torture, but ultimately succumbed. Does that show his strength or his weakness — or both? Is his guilt over that failure a sign that he did not live up to heroic standards, or is it a sign of his integrity?

So was John McCain a hero? I honestly don’t know.

You may question McCain’s politics, effectiveness, and even his character, in his post-war life and career — and many have.

He was flawed, but so are virtually all heroes, But by objective standards, McCain acted multiple times in heroic ways. His actions and his life were definitely an inspiration to a lot of people.

That’s my two cents.