Naval History and Heritage Command
John S. McCain III
29 August 1936 − 25 August 2018
John Sidney McCain III was born on 29 August 1936 in Coco Solo, near Colón, in the Panama Canal Zone. He would later graduate from the U.S. Naval Academy and serve as a naval officer in the U.S. Navy, as both his father and grandfather had before him.
He was an A-4 Skyhawk pilot during the Vietnam War and was shot down over North Vietnam on 26 October 1967. McCain was a prisoner of war in North Vietnam until 14 March 1973 and retired from the U.S. Navy in 1981. He served in the U.S. House and Senate from 1983, from the state of Arizona, until his death in 2018.
To learn more, read John S. McCain III: A Brief Navy Biography
Read a blog post in NHHC's Sextant by Lieutenant John S. “Jack” McCain IV, USN: "John S. McCain III – Lessons from a ‘Biased’ Son on Legacy, Service, Sacrifice"
Links to Additional Photos of McCain's Naval Service
- Library of Congress: Photo 1, Photo 2
- National Archives: Photo 1, Photo 2, Photo 3, Photo 4
- Former Prisoner of War Lieutenant Commander John S. McCain III sees his father for the first time since August 1967, which was shortly before his capture by the North Vietnamese.
Vietnam History and Remembrance
- Significant U.S. Navy Operations and Events in Vietnam Through 1967 (H-gram 009-3)
- Operation Rolling Thunder—LCDR John S. McCain III Shot Down, 26 October 1967 (H-gram 011-4)
- Winding Down the War, 1968−1973 (Chapter 4 of By Sea, Air, and Land)
- USS Forrestal Disaster, 29 July 1967 (H-gram 008-6)
- The Catastrophic Fire Aboard USS Forrestal
Congressional Armed Services Issues and History
- Perspectives on Enhanced Interrogation Techniques
- Syria's Chemical Weapons: Issues for Congress: CRS Report for Congress
- Grand Strategy Contending Contemporary Analyst Views and Implications for the U.S. Navy
- Navy and Defense Reform: A Short History and Reference Chronology
- Diversity, Inclusion, and Equal Opportunity in the Armed Services: Background and Issues for Congress
- Armed Conflict in Syria: Overview and U.S. Response - 2017
Further Reading about the USS Forrestal (CVA-59) Fire
