John McCain in Hanoi, North Vietnam: prisoner of war.
People are clueless.
People who are NOT clueless forget that fact. When Governor Palin stands up at a campaign stop and says that "there's only one man in this campaign who has actually fought for this country and that man is John McCain, and he has the scars to prove it", she needs to talk about what that statement means.
Those of us who know assume that everyone else knows, but they don't. I even heard a commentator on a TV news program talk about McCain's age and his shuffling around during the second debate. She was clueless that this was not due to age but his torture and injuries during war.
People still do not know John McCain's story and they should.
Most people know he's been a Senator for years, but they don't know much else. People still do not know why John McCain can't raise his arms above his head, and shuffles when he walks - they think he's just old, that's not it, they don't know what he went through for this country.
Governor Palin needs to talk about his aircraft being hit while on the flight deck of the USS Forrestal aircraft carrier as he was preparing to take off on a bombing run in 1967 in Vietnam. McCain's A-4 Skyhawk was struck by a stray missile from another jet also on the flight deck. 134 died in the fire and explosions that followed. Below is a video about the incident.
She needs to talk about the fact that Senator McCain could have went home after the Forrestal incident, but chose to stay in the war.
Governor Palin needs to talk about what actually happened to Senator McCain when he was shot down and captured by the North Vietnamese. She needs to tell people what he went through in words that they will understand: broken bones, rope torture, solitary confinement, beatings, secret codes the prisoners used to communicate and encourage each other.
She needs to talk about how Senator McCain could have opted for early release from the North Vietnamese "Hanoi Hilton" but he chose to stay and not give the Vietnamese any propaganda material that would hurt his fellow airmen or his country. A difficult decision because he knew that doing so would be painful for him because the Vietnamese would make him pay in the interrogation rooms: a decision that proved his dedication to country.
Senator McCain has repeatedly shown that he can make difficult decisions and do what's best for this country. Senator McCain was awarded the Silver Star, Bronze Star, Legion of Merit, Purple Heart, and the Distinguished Flying Cross. He returned to active flight status after his release from being a prisoner of war. He retired from the Navy in 1981.
We need a hero in the Oval Office, but unless people know about his service, in detail, that may not happen.
Until next time,
Recoil
P.S. (Added 10/23/2008)
After making this post, this video surfaced.... it's a French interview (reporter Francois Chalais) of John McCain late in 1967 after he was shot down in North Vietnam. He mentions that he was taken to a hospital where he had surgary on his leg. Both arms and his leg were broken when he was shot down.
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Posted by Fred (aka Recoil) on October 22, 2008
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