McCain is a distinguished war veteran. Whether he should be conferred hero status is not a slam dunk. Give him a purple heart for every wound. Give him a bronze star for every six months of captivity, the standard established in 1947 for recognition of non-valorous enduring of hardship. But there are degrees of heroism aren't there.
As regards McCain's heroism on the day of his capture there are several different stories:
In his book McCain describes that having been locked on by an SAM (ground to air missile) he decided not to "jink" i.e. maneuver to shake off the missile. He released his bombs, started a climb and then was hit i.e. wing shot off. He went into a dive and he ejected.
The second or maybe actually the first version was from his own lips, the coerced interview in the "hospital" shortly after capture where he said he wasn't sure if he had been hit by a missile or anti aircraft.
However his citation for the Distinguished Flying Cross reads quite differently.
"Although his aircraft was severely damaged, he continued his bomb delivery pass and released his bombs on the target. When the aircraft would not recover from the dive, Commander McCain was forced to eject over the target."
So McCain earned the DFC by having continued valiantly to his target with only one wing and delivered his bombs on target then went into a dive and crashed. Aren't these things checked for plausibility?
Actually in another interview McCain said he was "over flying" Hanoi and made no mention of the bombing sequence saying only that on bailing out he was hit by his own plane.
In an apocryphal interview with Nhan Dan dated 1967 which served as the basis of a propaganda broadcast in November of that year he was reported to have said that he never did drop his bombs at all.
So which is it?
Footnote
The McCain incident was 1967. Compare to thirty years earlier give or take.
Appeal of President Franklin D. Roosevelt on Aerial Bombardment of Civilian Populations, September 1, 1939
The President of the United States to the Governments of France, Germany, Italy, Poland and His Britannic Majesty, September 1, 1939
The ruthless bombing from the air of civilians in unfortified centers of population during the course of the hostilities which have raged in various quarters of the earth during the past few years, which has resulted in the maiming and in the death of thousands of defenseless men, women, and children, has sickened the hearts of every civilized man and woman, and has profoundly shocked the conscience of humanity.
If resort is had to this form of inhuman barbarism during the period of the tragic conflagration with which the world is now confronted, hundreds of thousands of innocent human beings who have no responsibility for, and who are not even remotely participating in, the hostilities which have now broken out, will lose their lives. I am therefore addressing this urgent appeal to every government which may be engaged in hostilities publicly to affirm its determination that its armed forces shall in no event, and under no circumstances, undertake the bombardment from the air of civilian populations or of unfortified cities, upon the understanding that these same rules of warfare will be scrupulously observed by all of their opponents. I request an immediate reply.
FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT
