Unlike the right wing I will not challenge the veracity of Sen. McCain's claims regarding his captivity in Vietnam. What he suffered was horrible, I can't imagine what it must be like to be in solitary confinement. But the point that I am trying to make and which appears to have got lost in all the talking is what exactly did Sen.McCain do in captivity that went above and beyond what is required of every soldier to say nothing of an officer who is held to an even higher standard.
If people are asked the question "what was so special about what McCain did as a POW" they will most often reply (as I would have before thinking it through)his unwillingness to take the early release that the North Vietnamese offered him given his father's position of C in C U.S. naval forces. Now I am no expert in military law and would love for somebody who is an expert to comment but wouldn't that conduct be considered cowardice or collaborating with the enemy or "conduct unbecoming and officer"? Clearly, the N. Vietnamese offered him early release because they thought that they would be able to benefit from it would his acceptance of an early release not have made him a N.Vietnamese pawn. If I am right with my assessment would not McCain have been subject to a court martial had he accepted the early release. Leaving aside the legal aspect is there not a common standard of honor at work or have we defined deviancy so far down that just doing the expected thing is now become noteworthy and qualifies somebody to be President?
I suppose the second most common reply would be that he was tortured. But again the question is did McCain have a choice? It is not as though the N.Vietnamese gave him a choice- torture you or torture somebody else. Again McCain was victim of his circumstances. His heroism is not on par with somebody who runs out under a hail of bullets to rescue a wounded comrade. That person had a choice stay under cover or elect to rescue his comrades-that is heroism. As to having his shoulder broken again he had no choice in the matter- he was set upon by mob.
Lastly, McCain has pointed out that he understands the horrors of war. Again we have lapped this up without questioning it. In fact what McCain understands is the horror of captivity.Bombing people from 20,000ft Dropping a bomb load and returning to the carrier without ever having to see the consequences is not understanding the horrors of war. Being on the ground and actually witnessing first hand the consequences of ones actions is understanding the horror of war- seeing dead and maimed soldiers, civilians and children. In this respect Hagel, Webb, Kerry Clark et al have a much better understanding of the horrors of war than John MCCain