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’.
Admiral Stockdale 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.
McCain has certainly allowed the perception to persist that he chose to refuse early release out of his own sense of devotion to the other men and his personal integrity. Hence his alleged heroism. He never disavowed or corrected this perception or said, to my knowledge, that he was following an order from Stockdale.
AGAIN, He never disavowed or corrected this perception or said, to my knowledge, that he was following an order from Stockdale.
Actually, yes there is.