his father and grandfather were four-star admirals in the united states navy. john mccain met and exceeded his family legacy. i first met him 35 years ago. in 1982, we were brand-new freshmen congressmen elected to the u.s. house. i spotted him on the other side of the floor in the senate and of course knew instantly who he was and worked up the courage to go over and introduce myself. and then i asked him a favor. i said john, would you consider doing a cable tv show that i could send back to my central illinois district? he said sure, i would be glad to. i thought that's amazing. a democratic congressman asking a new republican congressman to help him back in his district, and john mccain said yes. it was the beginning of a >> to help him back in hisfrie district and john mccain said yes.ndship.entral i it was the beginning of a friendship. i i i still remember and i still. was think john for his act of kindness. ique it was my first exposure to the unique style of communication america would know as the straight breath sitting back interview was the biggest

it is a fitting resting place for someone whoing belonged in - who belonged to the united states navy and characteristic of him that in death he wished to rest with his comrades at arms. it was during his service at the navy that lieutenant mccain's plane was shot down over north vietnam. he was ejected and taken into captivity. during world war ii admiral chester nimitz noted that, and i quote, uncommon valor was a common virtue. end quote. the same can be said about the american soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines in the prison camps of north vietnam. john mccain joined their number in october of 1967. during the years of his confinement he was regularly beaten and tortured. he survived thanks in part to the friendship of his fellow prisoners of war. in 1968, his captors offered the malnourished and ill mccain the chance to be returned home early, ahead of prisoners who were next in line. john mccain said no. he spent another almost five years in captivity before being released on march 14, 1973. it scarcely needs to be said, mr. president, that he remained a thorn in his captors'

states navy for many years he was a pilot. but not a very good mileage i was shut down diagnosed with cancer and recovering from head surgery john mccain received a standing ovation when he returned to the hill for a crucial senate vote and the motion is agreed to. he followed the republican line in voting to open a debate on repealing the affordable care act i didn't his speech was deeply critical of a senate that he described as more partisan and more tribal than ever before it's trust each other let's return to regular order we've been spinning our wheels on too many important issues because we keep trying to find a way to win without help from across the aisle and a few days later in the early hours of the morning john mccain put principle before party. defying immense republican pressure to support a bill is repealing barack obama's health legislation he's back. and in that moment he rose above the senate mired in endless squabble offering the hope that governance by consensus rather than by command could still be possibl

states' navy, but the sun and grandson of an admiral in the united states navy, his family's story. —— son. just to recap, this is our breaking news stories this hour. the us senator and former resented candidate, john mccain, has died, at the age of 81. the vietnam war vetera n the age of 81. the vietnam war vete ra n ha d the age of 81. the vietnam war veteran had been suffering from brain cancer. although he was a republican, he was a frequent critic of donald trump. chris buckler looks back on his life. john mccain was a politician of principle, a patriot who believed in his country and fought for it at tremendous cost to himself. —— principle. his captors in the vietnam war sort a potential for a coup. john mccain refused release, despite the many beatings that he suffered. on his return, and he was hailed as a war hero, and entered politics. he would eventually spend 35 years representing republicans inside congress. but he was fiercely independent, and often spoke out against the party, notably challenging the influence of big money on american politics. the party est

both through his bravery serving in the united states navy and his long tenure in congress, he demonstrated his deep love of country. as the son and grandson of four-star admirals, john began serving this country at an early age. he followed in their footsteps, attended the united states naval academy, and was later commissioned as a naval aviator. he served in the vietnam war where he was captured and spent five and a half years as a prisoner of war. and during those years, through torture and misery, he never gave up. he was offered freedom but refused to be released unless every other prisoner was released with him. think about that. flying over vietnam, shot down, ejects from his plane, lands in a lake in hanoi, bruised, terrible shape. put in a prison, clearly in incredible pain, and through it all offered an opportunity to go home early. he says no, i'm not going unless all of the p.o.w.'s go. think of the strength of character that takes. it's almost unfathomable. you know, i always affectionately referred to him as the admiral because both his father and grandfather were full admira

one is the impact that he had as a senator on the united states navy and the united states military through the legislation that he sponsored. of course, the culmination of that is the last defense bill named for him which funds the pentagon at higher levels than ever in history. he always made it a point in every hearing that i sat in the front row behind my boss who was testifying for him. always really tough questions. but always getting at the root of what the troops needed and their families. he never forgot the military families. the second thing i think about when i watch this motorcade is just the span of mystery that the mccain family has marked on our navy and on our world. his grandfather graduated from the academy in 1906. first went to sea with teddy rose vel roosevelt's great white fleet. got the navy cross, the second award only to the medal of honor, for saving two cruisers attacked by the japanese in the pacific. his father also a four-star admiral and then senator mccain, what he has done in uniform and out of uniform for the united states navy. and now senator mccain's so

he followed family tradition by serving in the united states navy. his father and grandfather were both power to star admirals. he became a naval aviator during the height of the vietnam war after graduating from the naval academy. he was shot down on a bombing mission over had a now. he parachuted into a lake where he was pulled and severely beaten. >> they pay you net med a couple of times -- bayoneted me >> the plane continued straight down, and i ejected, and broke my leg and ribs. >> you have faith in god, faith in your country, faith in the knowledge that you're citizens are behind you, and doing everything they can to bring you home. >> reporter: he then moved to arizona and entered politics. in 1982, he was elected to the u.s. house of representatives, but after two term his ran for the u.s. senate seat being vacated by barry gold water. he first ran for the republican presidential nomination in 2000. he spent months campaigning in new hampshire, the first primary state, and it would often host reporters on his campaign bus, known as the stra

states navy for many years it was a pilot. that they yes but a not a very good pilot i was shut down diagnosed with cancer and recovering from head surgery john mccain received a standing ovation when he returned to the hill for a crucial senate vote in the motion is agreed to. he followed the republican line in voting to open a debate on repealing the affordable care act but in his speech was deeply critical of a senate that he described as more. and more tribal than ever before let's trust each other let's return to regular order we've been spinning our wheels on too many important issues because we keep trying to find a way to win without help from across the aisle and a few days later in the early hours of the morning john mccain put principle before party. defying immense republican pressure to support a bill is repealing barak obama's health legislation he's back. and in that moment he rose above the senate mired in endless squabble offering the hope that governance by consensus rather than by command could still be poss

states navy for many years i was a pilot. that they yes but i'm not a very good pilot i was shot down diagnosed with cancer and recovering from head surgery john mccain received a standing ovation when he returned to the hill for a crucial senate vote and the motion is agreed to. he followed the republican line in voting to open a debate on repealing the affordable care act but in his speech was deeply critical of a senate that he described as more. and more tribal than ever before let's trust each other let's return to regular order we've been spinning our wheels on too many important issues because we keep trying to find a way to win without help from across the aisle and a few days later in the early hours of the morning john mccain put principle before party. defying immense republican pressure to support a bill is repealing barack obama's health legislation he's back. and in that moment he rose above the senate mired in endless squabble offering the hope that governance by consensus rather than by command could still be

states navy for many years i was a pilot. but i'm not a very good pilot i was shot down diagnosed with cancer and recovering from head surgery john mccain received a standing ovation when he returned to the hill for a crucial senate vote in the motion is agreed to. he followed the republican line in voting to open a debate on repealing the affordable care act but in his speech was deeply critical of a senate that he described as more. and more tribal than ever before let's trust each other let's return to regular order we've been spinning our wheels on too many important issues because we keep trying to find a way to win without help from across the aisle and a few days later in the early hours of the morning john mccain put principle before party. defying immense republican pressure to support a bill repealing barack obama's health legislation he's back. and in that moment he rose above the senate mired in endless squabble offering the hope that governance by consensus rather than by command could still be possible. that rig

mccain iii, united states navy. his wife carol, sons douglas and andrew and daughter sidney live in orange park, florida. >> i just remember he was really skinny. he was just kind of all bones in his face, and he was limping quite noticeably. one of his arms he couldn't lift any higher than about this. but i just remember the smile was the same and the humor was the same, there was still a twinkle in his eye. it was like right out of the movies. >> i don't think i really understood what was going on. i was really like who is this guy? what is he doing here? did not understand the whole concept of his return from vietnam. >> john was not angry. he was just happy to be home. he told me every single thing that he could remember, and i wanted him to. i wanted him to just talk and talk and talk and not keep that stuff locked up. >> when we came home, i wanted to know what happened during all those years. think of yourself going 5 1/2 years with only information provided to you by your communist captors. i wanted to know

and john became the navy liaison officer in the united states senate. there is an office that then used to be on the basement floor. members of the military who are assigned to senators when they travel abroad to meet with heads of state or other foreign dignitaries, and john had recently been released from the hanoi hilton, a genuine hero, and became the navy liaison. for some reason we hit it off from the beginning. we were both full of dreams and ambitions an overwhelming desire to make the time we had there worthwhile, to try to do the right thing, to think about how we could make things better for the country we love so much. and john and i ended up traveling. every time i went anywhere, i took john with me or john took me with him. we were in china, japan, russia, germany, france, england, turkey, all over the world, tens of thousands of miles. and we would sit on that plane, and late at night when everyone else was asleep we would just talk, getting to know one another. we would talk about family, talk about politics, talk about international rel

states navy, serving in vietnam. it was october of 1967 when mccain was flying a bombing mission when his plane was shot down. and he then spent the next five and a half years as a prisoner of war, enduring torture, and solitary confinement at the hands of his captors. a french jushlist videotaped these first moments of his imprisonment which were recently feature in the ken burns documentary the vietnam war. >> i was on a flight over the city of hanoi. and i was bombing. and i was hit by either a missile or anti-aircraft fire. i'm not sure which. and the plane continued straight down. i ejected and broke my leg and both arms. and went into a lake, parachuted into a lake. and i was picked up by some north vietnamese and taken to the hospital, where i almost died. >> my next guest served and lived through that horror alongside john mccain. he is retired navy fighter pilot captain charlie plum. captain plum, an honor sir. thank you for your service to this great country. i'm so sorry about the loss of your friends, you

states navy for many years i was a pilot. but i'm not a very good pilot i was shot down diagnosed with cancer and recovering from head surgery john mccain received a standing ovation when he returned to the hill for a crucial senate vote and the motion is agreed to. he followed the republican line in voting to open a debate on repealing the affordable care act but in his speech was deeply critical of a senate that he described as more. and more tribal than ever before let's trust each other let's return to regular order we've been spinning our wheels on too many important issues because we keep trying to find a way to win without help from across the aisle and a few days later in the early hours of the morning john mccain put principle before party. defying immense republican pressure to support a bill is repealing barak obama's health legislation he's back. and in that moment he rose above the senate mired in endless squabble offering the hope that governance by consensus rather than by command could still be possible but th

his father and grandfather were four-star admirals in the united states navy. john mccain met and exceeded his family legacy. i first met him 35 years ago. in 1982, we were brand-new freshmen congressmen elected to the u.s. house. i spotted him on the other side of the floor in the senate and of course knew instantly who he was and worked up the courage to go over and introduce myself. and then i asked him a favor. i said john, would you consider doing a cable tv show that i could send back to my central illinois district? he said sure, i would be glad to. i thought that's amazing. a democratic congressman asking a new republican congressman to help him back in his district, and john mccain said yes. it was the beginning of a friendship. that cable show wasn't shown beyond central illinois, but i still remember it and still thank john for his act of kindness. it was my first exposure to a unique style of communication that america would come to know as the straight-talk express. sitting for that interview was a typically generous john mccain act for which i am

states navy. >> i do hope this causes people, your comments about greatness cause people to think about some of the dictators we've had in this world. i think it's really instructive to read about rwanda and yugoslavia and it's instructive to read about germany in 1931, societies that were actually working in which this hatred was sown and threats of violence were spread around and the damage that does. malcolm, thank you for sharing this discussion with me. malcolm nance brings more than 36 years of experience in u.s. intelligence and the military. >>> the controversy surrounding the president's rhetoric comes just before his surprise announcement that white house counsel don mcgahn will leave the administration this fall. in a tweet at 10:30 the president said white house counsel don mcgahn will be leaving his position this fall, shortly after the confirmation hopefully of judge brett kavanaugh to the united states supreme court. i have worked with don for a long time and truly appreciate his service. the decision comes just as special counsel robert mueller's investigation ramps up.

states navy, his family's legacy of service and break the code of conduct. >> mccain was thrown into a cell with two other americans. >> was there a time you didn't think he would make it in. >> i didn't think he would make it the moment i saw him. his body was saying let's die and his mind was saying we're not doing that. >> you remember that kind of conscious thought almost? >> i remember the incredible joy of seeing two american faces and gave me reason to live. >> over the next five and a half years in captivity, he was to repeated torture and experienced frequent bouts of dysentery and constant isolation. >> he was held in solitary confinement for two years. that tested his will to live and his belief system. >> every day was about one thing, survival. >> by christmas 1972, the u.s. dramatically increased its bombing runs over north vietnam in an effort to get the vietnamese to the negotiating table. >> that's what caused the communist negotiator to agree to terms acceptable to president nixon. >> within 60 days from this saturday, all americans held prisoners of war throughout

as a member of the united states navy. his grit and determination as a prisoner of war in vietnam, h legendary and ought to be an inspiration. for the rest of his life, he understood from his own experience what it takes to keep a country safe, and he stood up for the security of the united states and in turn that was standing up for the security of the world. he prioritized those in uniform and the veterans who he safeguard our nation. i had tremendous respect for senator mccain's leadership of the armed services committee and for the many ways that he led on a number-one responsibility of the federal government: our national defense. senator mccain and i served in the senate together since 1986. even after he became ill last year, senator mccain's charisma was as strong as ever. at christmastime, he greeted me with an oft repeated joke that he had since he was a candidate for president and traveling around iowa. he learned a lot about iowa and this greeting watts something like -- was something like, well, chuck, i had m

states navy for many years he was a pilot. but not a very good pilot i was shut down diagnosed with cancer and recovering from head surgery john mccain received a standing ovation when he returned to the hill for a crucial senate vote in the motion is agreed to. he followed the republican line in voting to open a debate on repealing the affordable care act i didn't his speech was deeply critical of a senate that he described as more partisan and more tribal than ever before it's trust each other let's return to regular order we've been spinning our wheels on too many important issues because we keep trying to find a way to win without help from across the aisle and a few days later in the early hours of the morning john mccain put principle before party. defying immense republican pressure to support a bill is repealing barack obama's health legislation he's back. and in that moment he rose above the senate mired in endless squabble offering the hope that governance by consensus rather than by command could still be possible t

. >> i wanted to talk to you especially because you are an admiral in the united states navy. you just mentioned in the break and i didn't know this about you, you taught naval history. >> i did. >> so that basically means teaching about the mccain family. >> absolutely. i was not smart enough to get into the naval academy but they let me go back and teach when i was a young lieutenant. >> he did graduate fifth from the bottom of his class. >> he did, but at least he got there. i didn't even get into the school. but you honestly cannot teach about the 20th century navy, certainly the last half of the 20th century, without teaching the mccain family. his grandfather won the navy cross, the second highest award to the medal of honor for his command of carrier strike forces in the pacific, including the air campaign over guadal canal. his father and him -- his father was the commander of all the pacific forces in vietnam and became a staunch defender of the vietnamization of that war. and of course you have senator mccain himself who was a naval aviator in combat, shot down, of c

three core values of the united states navy, honor, courage and commitment. >> always good to speak with you. thank you. >>> north korea's state run newspaper claiming the united states is running drills on invadining pyongyang and hatchi a plan to unleash a war. are the president's plans for denuclearization crumbling? ♪ let your perfect drive come together during the final days of the lincoln summer invitation event get 0% apr on select 2018 lincoln models plus one thousand dollars bonus cash. ahoy! gotcha! ah! nooooo... noooooo... nooooo... quick, the quicker picker upper! bounty picks up messes quicker and is 2x more absorbent than the leading ordinary brand. ahoy! (laughing) bounty, the quicker picker upper. so you have, your headphones, chair, new laptop, 24/7 tech support. yep, thanks guys. i think he might need some support. yes. start them off right, with the school supplies they need at low prices all summer long. now save $150 on this dell notebook at office depot officemax. >>> a possible trade deal between the trump administration and mexico could come as early as this aft

states navy, his family's legacy of service and break the code of conduct. >> mccain was thrown into a cell with two other americans. >> was there a time you didn't think he would make it in. >> i didn't think he would make it the moment i saw him. his body was saying let's die and his mind was saying we're not doing that. >> you remember that kind of conscious thought almost? >> i remember the incredible joy of seeing two american faces and gave me reason to live. >> over the next five and a half years in captivity, he was can you be theed to repeated torture and experienced frequent bouts of disinteri and constant isolation. >> he was held in solitary confinement for two years. that tested his will to live and his belief system. >> every day was about one thing, survival. >> by christmas 1972, the u.s. dramatically increased its bombing runs over north vietnam in an effort to get the vietnamese to the negotiating table. >> that's what caused the communist negotiator to agree to terms acceptable to president nixon. >> within 60 days from this saturday, all americans held prisoners o

states navy, his family's legacy of service and break the code of conduct. >> over the next 5 1/2 years in captivity, he was subjected to repeated torture and experienced frequent bouts of disintery and constant isolation. >> he was held in solitary confinement for two years so that tested his will to live and his belief system. >> every day was basically about one thing, survival. >> by christmas 1972, the u.s. dramatically increased it's bombing runs over north vietnam in an effort to get the vietnamese to the negotiating table. >> and that, it is believed is what caused the communist negotiator to finally agree to terms acceptable to president nixon. >> within 60 days from this saturday, all americans held prisoners of war throughout indo china will be released. >> as part of the negotiations, the americans held in captivity were released. 5 1/2 years after he was pulled from that lake in hanoi, john mccain finally was free. >> mccain had aged so dramatically from the young man who had crashed his plane and when he came down the steps in california and was greeted and lipped across t

john sidney mccain iii, captain, the united states navy. recipient of the silver star, recipient of the legion of merit. recipient of the distinguished flying cross. recipient of the purple heart. the united states senator, hero, statesman. senator mccain, there are some who question what this nation has become. they wonder about our commitment to our founding values. our results and our love for -- resolve and our love for fellow americans. perhaps they do not know where to look. looking at the man we honor here tonight, i am comforted and confident in our potential as a united nation to live up to the best of our past, to put forth the best of ourselves and to forge a future worthy of all americans, especially great americans who inspire us like john mccain. thank you very much. [applause] >> the work we do is important. >> in late july, returning to the senate after surgery, john mccain took to the floor to articulate his philosophy of government. >> we have been spinning our wheels onto many important issues -- on too many important iss

everybody knew his parents were very involved at the highest ranks of the united states navy. a great military tradition. but what got him to hanoi and the hanoi hilton, he's often saas to me, the military code. they operated as at military u even though they were in prison. and everybody had one objective, to stay alive and to beed honor and to honor their country. and job mccain emerged from all of that as an entirely differene on. and dedicated his life to public service. that eerience really made him who we honor today. >> m, we know john mccain the politician. we know john mccain the war hero. but he was a friend of yours. private? he like in what was he like in those moments when there were no cameras around? >> he was full of mischief. he often recited my book, the greatest generation, when he was running in new hampshire. at one appearance he made, somebody stood up and said you know tom brokaw is at the back of the room, and joh immediately said, yeah, i know, he's a leading bolshevik inhe washington press corps. it brought down the house, obviously, and what was alwa

states navy, his family's legacy of service and break the code of conduct. >> mccain was thrown into a cell with two other americans, norris overly and bud day. >> was there a time when he first arrived when you didn't think he would make it. >> i didn't think he would make it the moment i saw him. my description of him was that his body was saying let's die and his mind is saying we're not doing that. >> do you remember that kind of conscious thought almost? >> i remember the incredible joy of seeing two american faces and gave me reason to live. >> over the next five and a half years in captivity, he was subjected to repeated torture and experienced frequent bouts of dysentery and constant isolation. >> he was held in solitary confinement for two years. so, that tested his will to live. and his belief system. >> everyday was basically about one thing, survival. >> by christmas, 1972, the u.s. dramatically increased its bombing runs over north vietnam. in an effort to get the vietnamese to the negotiating table. >> and that, it is booelieved, what caused the commentator to finally a

a year later, he was elected to the united states house of representatives, where he served for two terms. in 1986 mccain won a seat in the u.s. senate and held it for more than three decades. sen. john mccain:"the thing i liked about the senate, if there's an issue put before the floor of the senate, i can go down, propose an amendment, i can go down and sometimes i can go down and make a fool of myself."at times, his willingness to buck the will of his own party earned him a "maverick" reputation. mccain: "be strong, have courage and fight!" in 2008, he earned the republican party's presidential nomination. but he lost the race to senate colleague, barack obama.then came the trump presidency. mccain surfaced as one of trump's most outspoken critics, and part of the so- called "fearless five" gop senators who defied the president during his first year. but at a time of great political turmoil, mccain had to face his own upheaval: in 20-17 he was diagnosed with brain cancer. after surgery, he returned to the senate for a critical vote: his party's push to repeal obamacare. mccain's maveri

it's one of the most prominent families in the united states navy. mccain's grandfather accepted the imperial japanese surrender aboard the uss missouri in 1945. his father also a four star general, later commanded all american naval forces in the pacific. after graduating from episcopal high school in virginia, mccain followed their lead entering the naval academy in the class of 1958. by the time war broke out in vietnam mccain had already bailed out of two airplanes during training and in june of 1967 he nearly lost his life for a third time a rocket aboard the aircraft carrier went off accidentally and struck his plane as it idled on deck. 134 sailors died but make cane rolled through the flames to safety. >> i felt this tremendous blow to my airplane and saw the fire coming out so i probably had reacted a little more quickly than those in the planes near me some of those planes near me didn't survive. >> four months later his luck ran out. on october 26, 1967, during a daytype bombing mission over downtown hanoi, mccain's plane was hit by a miss

everybody knew his parents were very involved at the highest ranks of united states navy, a military tradition. what got him to hanoi and hanoi hilton he's often said to me was the military code. they operated as a military unit even though they were in prison. everybody had one objective, to stay alive and to be honored and to honor their country. john mccain emerged from all ayatollah as a person dedicated to public experience. that experience is who we honor today. >> we know john mccain the politician, john mccain the war hero. he was a friend of yours. what was he like in private? what was he like during those moments when there were no cameras around? >> he was full of mischief. he often recited my book "the greatest generation" when he was running in new hampshire. at one appearance that he made, somebody stood up and said, you know, tom brokaw is at the back of the room. he said, now, i know he's leading bolshevik at the press corps. that brought down the house obviously. what was always striking to me, when i had have private time with him, he would be as critical of his par

a year later, he was elected to the united states house of representatives, where he served for two terms. in 1986 mccain won a seat in the u.s. senate and held it for more than three decades. sen. john mccain:"the thing i liked about the senate, if there's an issue put before the floor of the senate, i can go down, propose an amendment, i can go down and sometimes i can go down and make a fool of myself."at times, his willingness to buck the will of his own party earned him a "maverick" reputation. mccain: "be strong, have courage and fight!" in 2008, he earned the republican party's presidential nomination. but he lost the race to senate colleague, barack obama.then came the trump presidency. mccain surfaced as one of trump's most outspoken critics, and part of the so- called "fearless five" gop senators who defied the president during his first year. but at a time of great political turmoil, mccain had to face his own upheaval: in 20-17 he was diagnosed with brain cancer. after surgery, he returned to the senate for a critical vote: his party's push to repeal obamacare. mccain's maveri

states navy for many years i was a pilot. but i'm not a very good violet i was shut down diagnosed with cancer and recovering from head surgery john mccain received a standing ovation when he returned to the hill for a crucial senate vote in the motion is agreed to. he followed the republican line in voting to open a debate on repealing the affordable care act i didn't his speech was deeply critical of a senate that he described as more. and more tribal than ever before let's trust each other let's return to regular order we've been spinning our wheels on too many important issues because we keep trying to find a way to win without help from across the aisle and a few days later in the early hours of the morning john mccain put principle before party. defying immense republican pressure to support a bill repealing barack obama's health legislation he's back. and in that moment he rose above the senate mired in endless squabble offering the hope that governance by consensus rather than by command could still be possible. that

and john became the navy liaison officer in the united states senate. there's an office, then it used to be on the basement floor. members of the military who are assigned to senators when they travel abroad to meet with heads of state or other foreign dignitaries. and john had been recently released from the hanoi hilton, a genuine hero, and he became the navy liaison. for some reason we hit it off in the beginning. we were both full of dreams and ambitions and an overwhelming desire to make the time we had there worthwhile. try to do the right thing. to think about how we could make things better for the country we loved so much. and john and i ended up traveling every time i went anywhere, i took john with me or john to be me with him. we were in china, japan, russia, germany, france, england, turkey, all over the world. tens of thousands of miles. and we would sit on that plane and late in the night, when everyone else was asleep, and just talk. getting to know one another. we'd talk about family. we'd talk about politics, we'd talk about internatio

and john became the navy liaison officer in the united states senate. there was an office then. it used to be on the basement floor of members of the military who are assigned to senators when they travel abroad to meet with heads of state or other foreign dignitaries. and john had been recently released from the hanoi hilton. he became the navy liaison. for some reason, we hit it off from the beginning. we were both full of dreams. and ambitions. and an overwhelming desire to make the time we had there worthwhile. to try to do the right thing. to think about how we could make things better for the country we love so much. and john and i ended up traveling every time i went anywhere. i took john with me or john took me with him. and we were in china, japan, russia, germany, france, england, turkey, turkey. all over the world. tens of thousands of miles. and we would sit on that plane and late in the night, when everyone else was asleep, and just talk, getting to know one another. we'd talk about family. we'd talk about politics. we'd talk about international relations. we'd talk

states navy. so in some ways, his destiny was almost written for him. but again, there was this code of honor there. if you asked him about his captivity in vietnam which he didn't like to talk about a lot, the worst moment for him was not all those years in solitary confinement. it was not being tortured and having his arm is broken more than once. it was when they forced him to sign sort of a stilted generic confession to black crime. and he said that that was the worst moment because he could only think what does my father think of me right now? >> sandra: it's fascinating you're look back on his life and you do take it from his family, his time in the military to politics. and about the politics of all of this, you do take on his relationship with the president and you note that once trump took office, senator mccain was one of the president's most vocal critics grade when he ran for reelection in 2016, he settled many in his political fan base but in the era of trump, he again became an outli

john became the navy liaison officer in the united states senate. there's an office that used to be on the base, it had members of the military who are assigned to senators when they travel abroad to meet with heads of state or other foreign dignitaries. john had been recently anointed a genuine hero, and he became the naval liaison. for some reason, we hit it off from the beginning. we were both full of dreams, and ambitions. and an overwhelming desire to make the time we had worthwhile. we tried to do the right thing, to think about how we could make things better for the country we love so much. john i ended up traveling, every time i went anywhere john went with me and i went with him. we were in china, japan, russia, germany, france, all over the world. we would sit on that plane, late in the night when everyone else was asleep, and talk. we would talk about family, politics, international relations, promises. the promise of america. we were both optimists, we believe there was not a single thing beyond the capacity of this country. for real, n

states navy. and so one of the things that is famous about "indianapolis" is the sharks that attacked the men in the water. of course the captain in "jaws" made that famous but what people don't know is many lives were lost from the injuries sustained when the ship sank. 900 went in the water alive. only 316 survived. the sharks killed many. but also many died of their wounds. a horrible, painful way to die. many went insane and actually attacked each other. >> why did you personally take on this research and this book? >> as a naef veteran, i thought this was really an iconic story. there may be world war ii stories that are as iconic, but none more iconic. one of the things we wanted to do was help people understand the serious history of this story. but also help them understand what was it like to be a 16-year-old serving on the flagship of the pacific fleet during world war ii. what was it like to be the gunnery officer? and one of the things we were able to tell for the very first time was t

he is a navy veteran who returned to the united states after spending five years as a prisoner of war in vietnam. he was a celebrated hero. and then he turned his life to public service n. washington, a larger than life force for more than three decades. he served in the u.s. senate representing arizona. while committed to republican values he was known to dramatically break party lines. one of his final acts on the senate floor was to cast the deciding vote to doom his party's obamacare repeal. that move won harsh criticism from president trump. just moments ago the president tweeted his deepest condolences. mccain was 18 years old. >> with just a couple of follow-up points. we just heard from a "new york times" reporter who had interviewed john mccain, asked him what he wanted on his tombstone, he said without hesitation he saids "he served his country" chum s three senat office buildings after senator john mccain. >> he has a long legacy that deserves to be recognized and honored. of course we will be following the story all night long and have the latest for you tonight at 11. >>>

, and all the way to his favorite battles on the floor of the united states senate. in 2008, he electrified an arena in minneapolis proclaiming we're americans, and we never give up. we never quit. we never hide from history. we make history. those weren't the empty words of some politician grabbing the microphone and the spotlight for a few fleeting moments. men had followed john mccain into battle, and we knew we could do the same. this man was trusted, and he was tested. qualities in increasingly short supply. we sometimes think that politics is life and death, but john mccain knew better. because he had actually seen death and dying and tragedy. make no mistake, he fought like hell for the causes he believed in. he plowed through election after election with the energy and focus of a warrior. but along the way, he did it with humor and humanity. and without compromising the principles he held so dear, i would rather lose an election than lose a war, and we knew he was telling us the truth. in that way, john mccain was about more than politics. he brought us above

states navy for many years i was a pilot yeah. but i'm not a very good pilot i was shot down diagnosed with cancer and recovering from head surgery john mccain received a standing ovation when he returned to the hill for a crucial senate vote in the motion is agreed to. he followed the republican line in voting to open a debate on repealing the affordable care act but in his speech was deeply critical of a senate that he described as more. and more tribal than ever before let's trust each other let's return to regular order we've been spinning our wheels on too many important issues because we keep trying to find a way to win without help from across the aisle and a few days later in the early hours of the morning john mccain put principle before party. defying immense republican pressure to support a bill is appealing barack obama's health legislation he's back. and in that moment he rose above the senate mired in endless squabble offering the hope that governance by consensus rather than by command could still be possible but ce