John Mccain: Military and Moral

John McCain: Military and Moral Influences That Changed Him Both as a Man and a Politician

John McCain is one of the most influential political figures in America. Taking into account the coming presidential campaign, it can be said that he is one of the most important contenders in the race for the White House. However, his early childhood and his young adulthood were determinant for the evolution of his life. At the same time, his family background played a crucial role in the shaping of his beliefs, moral standards, and values he comes to advocate today.

The extent of his popularity and political success has not been that obvious in the past due to the continuous struggle and political disagreement with another important Republican figure, George W. Bush. For that matter, the dispute that arose throughout the years, but especially during the last decade have pointed out on the one hand the value of John McCain as an individual and on the other hand, his political potential. In regard to the latter, a prediction on the 2004 presidential elected pointed out the fact that "if McCain were to run for president as a Republican in the primaries in 2004, he could damage Bush's candidacy beyond repair, much as Ted Kennedy destroyed a sitting president, Jimmy Carter, in 1980. If McCain were to run as a Democrat (or even as an Independent), he could win." It is therefore obvious his political as well as his human integrity. However, these can be said to represent the result of a sum of factors and influences that determined his life and political career.

Probably the first and the most important influence he received was that of his family. In general, the family represents the environment which provides the individual with the first and the most essential traits of one's character. In John McCain's case, this statement is beyond any doubt. His military career and his future live would stand as a comprehensive proof of his father and his grandfather's values and norms, one they sought to promote in their own careers and family lives.

He came from a family that had been traditionally engaged in the United States armed forces, who instilled in McCain's beliefs the idea of supreme courage manifested in the fight for one's country. In this sense, "his father, John S. "Junior" McCain, and grandfather, John S. McCain, Sr., were famous four-star Admirals in the U.S. Navy. His father commanded U.S. forces in Europe before becoming commander of American forces fighting in Vietnam. His grandfather commanded naval aviation at the Battle of Okinawa in 1945. Both men became highly influential in U.S. Navy operations." From this point-of-view, it can be said that the presence of both these male figures have guided him in the choice of his future career.

His grandfather was one of the most respected characters of the Navy during the Second World War. In this sense, he was well-known for both his great qualities as a leader in battle, as a man of courage, as well as for his colorful temper and unique character. However, his military record in the Academy was one that would not impress any critic. In this sense, his academic scores were below average, as "John's grandfather, Slew McCain, graduated a lackluster 79th out of 116 from the Naval Academy. Like his son and grandson, both of whom ranked even lower, Slew McCain would prove that a second-rate record at Annapolis did not foreclose success in the Navy." Indeed, the similarity to his son and grandson are remarkable as neither of them had been considered to poses great potential in the light of the academic performances. However, the same similarity points out the fact that all three men proved to be remarkable military people, with a great sense of devotion and regard for the country and for the principles of the American democracy.

From the perspective of a general description, "John McCain's grandfather was a gaunt, hawk-faced man known as Slew by his fellow officers and affectionately as Popeye by the sailors who served under him. McCain Sr. played the horses, drank bourbon and water, and rolled his own cigarettes with one hand. More significant, he was one of the navy's greatest commanders, and led the strongest aircraft carrier force of the Third Fleet in key battles during World War II." As a proof of his special character, the reports at the time of the defeat of the Japanese stated that the Admiral had decided to celebrate in his own particular style, "he went from group to group [on the Missouri]," greeting old acquaintances, and announced he was at work on the concoction of three new drinks, the 'Judy,' the 'Grill,' and the 'Zeke,' each named after a Japanese plane. 'Each time you drink one you can say, "Splash one Judy" or "Splash one Zeke, " ' he explained."

In the light of these achievements and fully impressed by the posture of his grandfather, the youngest son of John S. Junior McCain is said to have known from the very beginning the direction his life would choose, that in the service of his country.

The military career played an essential role in the lives of all three men from the very beginning of their lives. John McCain's grandfather had been the only one not being born in a military related area. John S. Junior McCain was born "in Council Bluffs because his father, during an extended tour of duty on the San Diego, was sailing around the southern tip of South America, and Katherine had traveled to Iowa to stay with a sister who had moved there." Similarly, John McCain's birthplace was also related to one of his own father's missions, taking into account the fact that "on August 19, 1936, having been designated a naval aviator Slew was appointed Commander of Aircraft Squadrons and Attending Craft at the Coco Solo Air Base in the Panama Canal Zone. Jack happened to be stationed there." Those had been the premises for the birth of John McCain who "in keeping with the McCain family tradition, (he) was named John Sidney McCain III. Jack's son, too, would be given a nickname, just as Jack and Slew had been before him. This John Sidney McCain would be known as "Johnny." Therefore, it can be concluded that the McCain family was greatly influenced by the military careers they followed, starting from their birthplace that was determined by their assigned military missions, to the way in which tradition played a significant part in their lives.

Similar to his past, John McCain's father was also a man for whom the career was an essential part. Often he would be stationed in different parts of the world which made his contacts with his family and son limited. This state of facts were a proof for McCain of the sacrifices one makes for his country and what the honor of the military and of the service for the country meant. Although he had been aware of the emotional deprivation the service provoked in the family of a military, having had the example of his grandfather who, even when he was with his family, he was engaged in military affairs, this reality made him cherish the duty for the country and gave him a glimpse of the high moral value the service offered to a strong character. However, this sense of emotional distance was sensed at the level of the children but in particular for John. Thus, the relationship was one based on honor and mutual respect, a particular king of affection, not always associated with the general meaning of fatherly love. This idea was obvious and it marked his childhood and early adulthood transforming him in the type of person that would find refuge in other parts of his activities. Hence, "father and son did not hunt or fish together, go to the movies, museums, or ballgames. [John's mother] Roberta said she doesn't remember Jack ever disciplining John. "Jack was really kind of removed from things in a way," she said. John spoke of pride, honor, and integrity when discussing his father, but rarely love, as if their relationship was one of respect, but not real affection."

The distant relationship made him weak and strong at the same time. On the one hand, it deprived him of the regular American family that disappeared after a thorough analysis of their family relationship. At the same time, however, it also strengthened his ability to adapt and be independent at the same time. This was the result of the "resentment" he felt in the relationship with his father. In this sense, there records of him admitting that "I didn't spend as much time with him as maybe I would have if he'd been more committed to being around me," John said on one occasion."

The road McCain would later embark on, despite the military tradition of his family, was not one he had set in from the very beginning. In this sense, his parent's influence was obvious. Since his early childhood he would listen to stories from the war period without any practical consideration of the actual facts those stories conveyed. However, his parents would later choose for him by guiding him towards the military education. In this sense, "in the early years of his life, Johnny's parents made one decision about which they would be unwavering: When Johnny grew up, he would follow the family model and attend the Naval Academy and would then enter the navy (...) the first demonstrative move Jack and Roberta made toward realizing their goal came in September 1946; they enrolled Johnny, then 10 years old, in St. Stephen's School in Alexandria, Virginia" as part of a higher type of academic preparation that would make him eligible for the Navy Academy later on.

In the current society, the one in which the idea of parents deciding for their children on the path the latter would take in life, an issue that is today considered to be dissolute, actions such as the ones done by McCain's parents would seem a breach to the freedom and liberty of the child to choose on his own. However, at the time of McCain's early childhood, these actions represented in fact part of a process in which the values and moral standards of previous generations would be instilled in the mentality and character of the young adult, preparing him for a life conducted in accordance with the highest moral system, the military. Although it may seem at this point an old fashioned endeavor, at that time, it represented for John McCain the incentive and at the same time the possibility to follow on his father and grandfather's footsteps.

The issue of the children-parents relationship and his personal experience in this sense had an important effect on the way in which he would later on conduct politics on this matter. The fact that his own parents had exercised not necessarily a tight control over his education and his childhood framework, but guided carefully the factors and the environment which exercised an influence on him is seen in the political stands he exhibits today. In this sense, he has become an advocate for the right and duty of the parents to monitor the elements that could somewhat impact the mental and physical well being of their children. More precisely, in 1999 "McCain issued "An Appeal to Hollywood" calling for a "new social compact" that reminds parents of their serious responsibilities in determining the entertainment media in which their children involve themselves. "Our homes are being flooded by a tide of media violence," said McCain. "As concerns grow over the climate of violence in our culture today, it's important not only for parents to take a greater role in their children's lives but also to encourage the industry to be responsible citizens."

The first years of his education proved essential for his eventual development as an individual and for the sketching of his own perspectives on life. The school in itself was demanding, not necessarily from the academic point-of-view, but more precisely from the moral one. In this sense, "when McCain arrived at Episcopal in the fall of 1951, he found a place steeped in heritage and traditions that demanded rigid adherence to social and cultural codes, as exemplified by the honor code." This environment offered him the first possibility to step out of the family environment his parents had created for him, one based on restriction and discipline that were considered prerequisites.

The relationship with his siblings was greatly influenced by the way in which the family itself was raised. In this sense, although from afar they could have been considered the traditional American family, in fact, McCain and his siblings were mostly raised by their mother. Thus, he argued that "my father was gone so much at sea and so there was a kind of self-reliance on us and within the family." This state of facts would greatly influence not necessarily his military career, but his perspective on life as a complex endeavor.

The time spent in schools, as well as that spent in the military academy was for John a time of continuous soul searching and a struggle to find his own identity. He would later consider this period as one of experimentation. He would discover his passion for films, music, and the life regular young adult would lead. In a sense, this evolution was a natural consequence of the pressures a family background such as his placed on the establishment of a young character. The death of his father made him stop the teen adventures and enroll in the Navy Academy. However, although he was aware of the eventual possibility, he resented the idea of having little control of his future. Moreover, he was often looked at from a subjective perspective. Thus, "if there was ever a military brat, it was Johnny McCain. He was born in a navy hospital in the Panama Canal Zone while his father was stationed there, but that was just the beginning of the long, odd childhood of a boy who grew up under the pressure of being the son and grandson of navy brass" From this point-of-view the less than mediocre results in the Academy can be explained.

The rebellious side of his young adulthood brought an essential contribution to the way in which he conducted politics. The fact that he had considered Marlon Brando to be "cool" or the idea that he passed through the periods of rebelliousness many people can identify with made him approach his political figure in a sense that the electorate would consider him as "a man of the people. He visited hundred of town meetings and local gatherings (...) people felt that they could approach him and that he would listen to what they had to say."

The Vietnam experience of John McCain is yet another point in which the personality of his ancestors is obvious. Both his father and grandfather had fought wars that in fact were not their own, ones which the United States did not freely and with consent choose to fight. The First and Second World War had an important impact on the human resources of the United States. The wars had showed however the great courageous forces of the U.S. Army. This is why in the Vietnam War, a conflict waged for the spread of democracy around the world, McCain's struggle in his five years of imprisonment are considered to be indeed an act of bravery. However, this did not protect him from criticism. In response to the constant accusations of carpet bagging, he relied "I spent 22 years in the Navy. We in the military service tend to move a lot. I wish I could have had the luxury, like you, of spending my entire life in a nice place like the 1st District of Arizona. As a matter of fact, the place I lived longest in my life was Hanoi." It can be said therefore that the experience was as traumatizing as enriching.

However, the costs of the war are also manifested in terms of the inability to keep a sentimental relationship. In this sense, despite the fact that he got married before going to Vietnam to Carol Shepp, the marriage did not endure the war, his imprisonment, and her car accident which left her physically transformed. This was to be a turning point in his activity as the entire situation gave him the determination to leave for the National War College at Fort McNair in Washington, D.C. It may be that the eventual divorce from his first wife would give him the incentive and emotional freedom a career military needed.

The second marriage may prove to be more successful. In this sense, without having left his former wife, John McCain met in 1979 his current wife, Cindy Hensley, "an attractive 25-year-old woman from a very wealthy politically-connected Arizona family." It has often been debated the issue of his marriage. On the one hand, he is considered to be similar to his father and grandfather in terms of women. Thus, he was viewed in his youth as having an increased interest in all types of women. However, in the relationship with Cindy Hensley, there are voices that consider his marriage to have been indeed very benefic for the launch of his political career. More precisely, his wife's name is always mentioned in relation to the idea of being the "heiress to Phoenix-based Hensley & Co., the nation's second-largest Anheuser-Busch distributor." Therefore, not only is her name mentioned but it also draws the attention on the considerable wealth she posses and which represents an essential contribution to the political campaign of her husband.