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McCain Ordered To Refuse Early Release From The Hanoi Hilton (Hostage)
In Love and War: The Story of a Family's Ordeal and Sacrifice During the Vietnam Years ^ | October 1984 | Admiral James B. Stockdale and Family

Posted on 07/20/2015 6:13:58 AM PDT by Hostage

Towards the end of the video where John McCain's betrayals are exposed By Vietnam Vets And POWs:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hr37eE0nO8&feature=youtu.be

are found the remarks of former Congressman Dornan's which are accurate and highly plausible but are missing a vital part that deconstructs John McCain's character and the myth about his 'heroism'.

Here's the context with reference in italics to the Hanoi Hilton's POW Commanding Officer Admiral James Stockdale in his own words:

Admiral (then a USN Captain) Stockdale and all other POWs inside the Hanoi Hilton confirmed the only way to come home early was if Admiral Stockdale granted permission; there was no other way around it. There were very few early releasees. One was a Seaman Apprentice named Douglas Hegdahl III who had spent night and day memorizing the names of 256 aviators into a rhyme and jingle. He was ordered to be an early release because he had those names to pass on to his debriefer when he got home.

McCain was never ordered to early release although the enemy offered it to him. He refused because of the standing order given by his POW Commanding Officer James Stockdale. Many have construed this refusal as of his own volition. He did obey the order and the consequence of not obeying the order was well-described by Congressman Dornan.

From Admiral Stockdale's book p.254:

There was little concern in any American's mind about the possibility of the Vietnamese throwing anybody out to defame him; we now knew the Vietnamese well enough to be sure that any early releasee would have to buy his way out by groveling on his knees before the Communists, bad-mouthing America. I gave their new release program a name: FRP -- the "Fink Release Program," and that was the way it was to be known. I also issued an order that started on its way to the other cell blocks of Las Vegas and with subsequent movers to the camps elsewhere in the city and outside it: "No early release; we all go home together".

IN LOVE AND WAR.

John McCain's betrayals Exposed By Vietnam Vets And POWs:


TOPICS: Extended News; FReeper Editorial; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: mccain; stockdale; trump
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There is no doubt John McCain suffered greatly as a POW inside the Hanoi Hilton. But he has allowed a myth to remain in existence regarding his 'heroism'. It is difficult to dress down a POW that suffered but it would be dereliction to allow a false aura of hero worship to continue to be perpetrated about a person who works and schemes against American conservative patriots.

In the above post we see from Admiral Stockdale's own words how he ordered all POWs in the Hanoi Hilton to refuse any offers of early release. There is no doubt McCain was merely following orders when he refused an early release offer by the Communists. To his credit he obeyed the order but obeying orders does not translate to heroism, it translates to doing one's duty.

1 posted on 07/20/2015 6:13:58 AM PDT by Hostage
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To: hoosiermama; Jim Robinson; onyx; LucyT; Liz; conservativejoy; Art in Idaho; stephenjohnbanker

Ping!


2 posted on 07/20/2015 6:15:07 AM PDT by Hostage (ARTICLE V)
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To: Hostage

That the MSM is scrambling to preserve McLame’s status/image as a “war hero” tells me pretty much everything I need to know.

Since when has anyone on the Left gone out of their way to protect a Republican, absent political considerations?


3 posted on 07/20/2015 6:20:10 AM PDT by Arm_Bears (Biology is biology. Everything else is imagination.)
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To: Hostage

Right - because let’s just forget it took heroism to actually follow that order. Complex thought is really lacking on this board.


4 posted on 07/20/2015 6:20:13 AM PDT by The Cuban
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To: Hostage

Not a McCain fan but “merely doing one’s duty” when doing that duty means enduring immense suffering, rather than taking the is a form of heroism.

Of course it might not be quite as heroic as avoiding service with 5 deferments.


5 posted on 07/20/2015 6:20:14 AM PDT by Above My Pay Grade
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To: Hostage

Not a McCain fan but “merely doing one’s duty” when doing that duty means enduring immense suffering, rather than taking the easy way out is a form of heroism.

Of course it might not be quite as heroic as avoiding service with 5 deferments.


6 posted on 07/20/2015 6:21:26 AM PDT by Above My Pay Grade
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To: Hostage
McCain and the POW Cover-Up: The 'war hero' candidate buried information about POWs left behind...
The American Conservative ^ | July 1, 2010 | Sydney Schanberg
7 posted on 07/20/2015 6:21:45 AM PDT by ETL (ALL (most?) of the Obama-commie connections at my FR Home page: http://www.freerepublic.com/~etl/)
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To: Hostage
there's still a lot of time for this all to play out

I wish Trump had not said what he said (though I think he said it in the samer demeanor as McCain's 'bomb, bomb, bomb, .. bomb bomb Iran')


There's something to be said about a loud mouthed, gut level speaking of a man so filthy rich he doesn't need money to campaign

And I really do believe Trump wants to save America .... So did McArthur.

8 posted on 07/20/2015 6:22:45 AM PDT by knarf (<!)
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To: Hostage
 photo John McCain 05 b_zpsdg13pbsw.jpg

"I appreciate your inviting me. But what I don't understand (pauses), you're suppose to have a committee of "12"

____________________________________________

 photo John McCain 05_zpshtsnzi6o.jpg
John Mccain Exposed By Vietnam Vets And Pow's Youtube video (10:39 mins)

9 posted on 07/20/2015 6:23:50 AM PDT by ETL (ALL (most?) of the Obama-commie connections at my FR Home page: http://www.freerepublic.com/~etl/)
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To: Hostage

You are all relentless.

We get it. You think McCain is a bad guy. I was not, and was never a supporter of him for President.

But to go back to a time when he was being tortured, certainly injured, and questioning his actions is even low for the folks around here.

Sure Stockdale had given the order. And McCain followed it. Thats a sin?

And you all seem to know what was in McCain’s heart at the time.

Really, this is a low, even for Free Republic who pretend to be all for the Mil, but criticize McCain for following orders.


10 posted on 07/20/2015 6:25:11 AM PDT by Vermont Lt
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To: Above My Pay Grade
McCain's following orders and refusing release is serving ones country to the extreme, for sure.

But it doesn't excuse that today he's the primary advocate of wars that have caused so much harm to so many, perhaps irreparable to civilization. I'd think a person who endured what he endured would not be advocating for the monster we've created in the Middle East.

11 posted on 07/20/2015 6:25:46 AM PDT by grania
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To: Hostage
There is no doubt McCain was merely following orders when he refused an early release offer by the Communists.

Do you realize that you just defamed every POW who was offered early release and turned it down?

12 posted on 07/20/2015 6:26:55 AM PDT by WayneS (Yeah, it's probably sarcasm...)
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To: The Cuban

So it would seem.


13 posted on 07/20/2015 6:27:12 AM PDT by WayneS (Yeah, it's probably sarcasm...)
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To: grania

Love the false bravado - it’s not heroism if your doing your duty GTFOH


14 posted on 07/20/2015 6:27:34 AM PDT by The Cuban
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To: Vermont Lt
FWIW, I think the vast majority here on FR want to acknowledge McCain's service in VietNam and are willing to accept the description of "heroic" for that.

What that service does not do is give McCain a pass for all of the harm he's done since then.

15 posted on 07/20/2015 6:29:40 AM PDT by grania
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To: Hostage

Why am I not surprised?


16 posted on 07/20/2015 6:31:44 AM PDT by Paulie (America without Christianity is like a Chemistry book without the periodic table.)
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To: The Cuban

Read my #15. McCain is a hero by our definition of the word for his time in VietNam. It neither excuses all of the harm he’s done since nor gives him a “pass” from us discussing the person he’s become.


17 posted on 07/20/2015 6:32:37 AM PDT by grania
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To: Hostage

Most of the media will not want Trump as a real candidate since he’s not a career politician and this is all they want. Anyone else who tries that isn’t a career politician gets slammed and mocked. Think about it: the liberal media is defending McCain. If that isn’t proof, nothing is.


18 posted on 07/20/2015 6:33:34 AM PDT by bcr100
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To: The Cuban

Heroism is not necessarily an act of following orders. The men who landed on Normandy Beach (and I knew some in my lifetime) refused to allow themselves to be called heroes when in their own words they were following orders. They were ‘brave’ and they are to be admired and respected as their deaths were a near certainty.

One of them I talked to 30 years ago, I asked “what were you all thinking when you were in the landing craft ready to run onto the beach?” His response was “we had accepted we were already dead”.

In response to my remark to him that he and the others onboard with him were heroes he responded “no, we were following orders, nothing more”.

The word ‘hero’ is defined by acts of heroism which are acts that go above and beyond what is called-for, beyond what is ‘ordered’. It is heartfelt and warm to think of all of our men and women in uniform as heroes but it diminishes the meaning of true acts of heroism.


19 posted on 07/20/2015 6:34:48 AM PDT by Hostage (ARTICLE V)
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To: grania

Yea I know I’m responding to this post’s premise.


20 posted on 07/20/2015 6:35:34 AM PDT by The Cuban
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