Posted on 04/30/2008 8:11:27 AM PDT by Behind Liberal Lines
A story I had never heard before about John McCain:
[Ret. Col. Bud] Day relayed to me one of the stories Americans should hear. It involves what happened to him after escaping from a North Vietnamese prison during the war. When he was recaptured, a Vietnamese captor broke his arm and said, "I told you I would make you a cripple."
The break was designed to shatter Mr. Day's will. He had survived in prison on the hope that one day he would return to the United States and be able to fly again. To kill that hope, the Vietnamese left part of a bone sticking out of his arm, and put him in a misshapen cast. This was done so that the arm would heal at "a goofy angle," as Mr. Day explained. Had it done so, he never would have flown again.
But it didn't heal that way because of John McCain. Risking severe punishment, Messrs. McCain and Day collected pieces of bamboo in the prison courtyard to use as a splint. Mr. McCain put Mr. Day on the floor of their cell and, using his foot, jerked the broken bone into place. Then, using strips from the bandage on his own wounded leg and the bamboo, he put Mr. Day's splint in place.
Years later, Air Force surgeons examined Mr. Day and complemented the treatment he'd gotten from his captors. Mr. Day corrected them. It was Dr. McCain who deserved the credit. Mr. Day went on to fly again.
Great post!
Wow is right.
Thanks. I’m sort of expecting an influx of posters who’ll tell us that National Review is a “RINO ‘Rat Magazine” however. ;-)
Lest you think this post isn’t getting attention: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2008999/posts?page=163#163
And you thought "Hillary-care" sounded scary!
He had honor, integrity, and true grit to the Nth degree. However, it only took a few years in the sewage of our senate to remove all three. We still have a choice of 3 liberals in the upcoming election. He’s just the least-worst of the three. Hopefully, the Repubs will find a way to find someone else. If I have to vote, it’ll be whilst holding my nose.
5 years to freedom by James Rowe.
There is no doubt how the Nov. election MUST TURN OUT for America....none whatsoever.
Humanity first, politics second. Nice post.
An American hero! Great story.
He’s still a big government politician with weak policy positions.
nope... no bashing the source...
Great stroy about McCain....truly awesome...
still doesn’t mean I like him, trust him, or would vote for him.....
lots of heroes out there that I would not vote for...
I wouldn’t vote for McCain to run the school bake sale, let alone Pres...
That IS Hillary care.
Ditto. Regardles of his politics, he demonstrated compassion for one of his fellow service men and that needs to be recognized. Regarding his politics, he is still as refreshing as a warm, mud puddle.
Impressive.
I can appreciate McCain’s good points and honorable service while still being extremely displeased with a lot of the stands he’s taken, over the past few years in particular. He’s the best of a bad lot IMO, and I’ll have to hold my nose to vote for him, but vote for him I most probably will. Reluctantly, but I’ll do it.
}:-)4
BUMP!
With proper brainwashing by the Times the Jerry Springer/Oparah fans will only know McCain is too old to be prez and vote for a Marxist.
I would think that Nazi and communist soldiers took care of one another as well.
..But I wouldn't support one for Pres.
I sorry, even if this is true it means nothing. The important factor is still whether or not McCain is a “Big Government” “liberal” or not. His actions in the past regarding this have indicated he is no friend to the concept of limited government.
He is not getting my vote.
No Pain, No Gain
Vote McCain
McCain had my admiration (and, if ever the opportunity arose, my vote) ever since 1996, when I had read about him and David Ifshin (sp?). Ifshin had been one of the people who went to Hanoi with Jane Fonda in the early 1970’s.
Years and years later, IINM (somebody pls correct me or fill in the gaps here), Ifshin sought out McCain and asked his forgiveness; I guess that they met several times and developed some kind of relationship, for when Ifshim died of cancer in the early 1990’s, McCain referred to the passing of “my friend, David Ifshin.”
I cannot begin to contemplate the nature and strength of the character/sense of self/intestinal fortitude of a man who could do as McCain did.
Call me sentimental.
And yet, when I try to explain to all my liberal relatives how and why I’ve always admired the man, their eyes glaze over.
interesting but irrelevant.
McCains CURRENCT conduct as a RINO and pro amnesty advocate overshadows any of that.
Do we give Murtha a “free pass” because he was a Marine?
Do we give Rev. Wright a “free pass” because he served in the military?
Did we give John Kerry a free pass because he served in viet nam (all be it colored by his own PR)?
Sorry but McCain is just an empty suit. He is irrelevant at this point in the election and it looks like he will be irrelevant after the conventions. He is just a place holder so the rest of the republicans can do his job for him.
May God bless John McCain and give him clear direction in his leadership role.
WOW.
Here’s another good story that some may have missed. It’s from a speech McCain delivered in 1988:
From a speech made by Capt. John S. McCain, USN, (Ret) who represents Arizona in the U.S. Senate:
As you may know, I spent five and one half years as a prisoner of war during the Vietnam War. In the early years of our imprisonment, the NVA kept us in solitary confinement or two or three to a cell. In 1971 the NVA moved us from these conditions of isolation into large rooms with as many as 30 to 40 men to a room. This was, as you can imagine, a wonderful change and was a direct result of the efforts of millions of Americans on behalf of a few hundred POWs 10,000 miles from home.
One of the men who moved into my room was a young man named Mike Christian.
Mike came from a small town near Selma, Alabama. He didn’t wear a pair of shoes until he was 13 years old. At 17, he enlisted in the US Navy. He later earned a commission by going to Officer Training School. Then he became a Naval Flight Officer and was shot down and captured in 1967.
Mike had a keen and deep appreciation of the opportunities this country-and our military-provide for people who want to work and want to succeed. As part of the change in treatment, the Vietnamese allowed some prisoners to receive packages from home. In some of these packages were handkerchiefs, scarves and other items of clothing. Mike got himself a bamboo needle. Over a period of a couple of months, he created an American flag and sewed on the inside of his shirt.
Every afternoon, before we had a bowl of soup, we would hang Mike’s shirt on the wall of the cell and say the Pledge of Allegiance. I know the Pledge of Allegiance may not seem the most important part of our day now, but I can assure you that in that stark cell it was indeed the most important and meaningful event.
One day the Vietnamese searched our cell, as they did periodically, and discovered Mike’s shirt with the flag sewn inside, and removed it. That evening they returned, opened the door of the cell, and for the benefit of all us, beat Mike Christian severely for the next couple of hours. Then, they opened the door of the cell and threw him in. We cleaned him up as well as we could.
The cell in which we lived had a concrete slab in the middle on which we slept. Four naked light bulbs hung in each corner of the room. As I said, we tried to clean up Mike as well as we could. After the excitement died down, I looked in the corner of the room, and sitting there beneath that dim light bulb with a piece of red cloth, another shirt and his bamboo needle, was my friend, Mike Christian. He was sitting there with his eyes almost shut from the beating he had received, making another American flag.
He was not making the flag because it made Mike Christian feel better. He was making that flag because he knew how important it was to us to be able to pledge allegiance to our flag and our country.
So the next time you say the Pledge of Allegiance, you must never forget the sacrifice and courage that thousands of Americans have made to build our nation and promote freedom around the world. You must remember our duty, our honor, and our country.
“I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”
http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/m/mccain-flag.htm
McCain is a true war hero and deserves all of our respect for that. It still doesn’t make me support amnesty for illegals or man made global warming.
Cojones!
Do you recall your parents warning that you walk with the bad assess you become and ass. Thats what happens to a good man sent and living to long in Washington. But he sure as hell beats the do do out of the The Wright ZLover and the Lady Liar and hater.
And if he were still that version of himself I’d vote for him proudly and without hesitation. Instead he’s turned into a first amendment burning SOB that I refuse to vote for as a senator and cannot in good conscience vote for as president.
The awful truth of this election year is that nobody worth a crap ran, the next 4 to 8 years are gonna suck.
I also believe that a lot of people here understand McCain very well.
Well you have the guy who was endorsed by hamas...
and the witch who “wants to take from you for the common good”
It is what he has done since which makes me seriously question his fitness to be president.
Especially this action as one of the Senators who voted against the Cornyn amendment , which would have established a permanent bar for gang members, terrorists, and other criminals looking to snag a shamnesty visa. Republicans underlined:
Never forget McCain not only pushed the amnesty bill, he refused to allow exclusions for the worst of the lot.
I respectfully correct your description of the candidates - you really should say, “two socialists and a liberal”. Other than that, I, too, shall hold my nose and vote against either of the socialists.
That's what is so sad and depressing about this election: 2008, along with pretty much every election since 1988, have offered very little in the way of really good quality candidates. Just goes to show how far our political system has fallen.
The mere fact that we have to choose from 3 sitting Senators is most depressing of all - Senators are the most elite, out of touch, and generally corrupted politicians in all of Washington.
Enough stories about McCain from 40 years ago. We know all this. What I care about is what he has done in the last 8 years. He has worked with Democrats to undermine Bush at every turn.
Give him a medal for actions 40 years ago, but based on the last 8 years, he must not be elected president.
Agreed. When they wheel him out at the old soldiers' home, I'll stand up and cheer the loudest. But, I'm not going to vote for him.
Truly sad after having displayed so much integrity so early on, he spent the last thirty-five years rolling in the sewer.
There goes Col. Bud Day, swiftboating another presidential candidate. I have to give McCain some points here.
They’re still offset by amnesty, the First Amendment and the Gang of 14. And global warming/climate change.
I expect a 527 on our side will run stories like these once the general election campaign starts. I am curious to see how the public reacts to the RAT attacks on McCain once the facts about his military service are known.
There is no doubt in my mind that the RATS can take it to a point that is beyond unseemly in light of what McCain sacrificed in service to our country.
Based on his sponsorship of McCain Kennedy and that he turned his back on MIAs while embracing the Vietnamese Communists, I can see how he would be classified as a traitor.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.