Minor on McCains

Bill Minor writes about the McCain family this week.

The possibility now of a John McCain presidency causes me to recall that three generations of John S. McCains, starting with the
grandfather back in World War II, have in different ways crossed my personal life track.

The oldest, Vice-Admiral John S. McCain, was commander of Task Force 38 that my destroyer was part of during the Pacific war. Memorably, in January, 1945, we provided the wizened little admiral "taxi service" at sea from his flagship to meet with Admiral Bull Halsey, the Third Fleet commander, on his flagship.

That meant hauling the admiral aboard by a canvas bag breeches buoy as the two ships rolled and pitched in the angry seas. I recall that when McCain arrived on our forecastle deck, he was swathed in a bulky kapok life jacket that he refused to remove. "Not while I'm on board a destroyer," he growled, remembering that three of our fellow tincans a month earlier went down in a massive typhoon.

To us 20-somethings on the Potter he seemed a tired old man not long for this world. Actually, two days after Japan surrendered, McCain died of a heart attack. Only years later did I learn he was a native of Carrollton, Miss.

The next John S. McCain - John S. II, father of Senator McCain - also had become an admiral, rising to commander of Pacific forces (CINCPac) during the Vietnam War. At the time, his son, Navy Lt. John S. McCain III, was a prisoner-of-war in North Vietnam after being captured when his fighter plane was shot down over Hanoi. Refusing release without his comrades, after 5-1/2 years McCain was freed in late 1973.

In the latter 1970s, Admiral McCain II had an occasion to visit Mississippi and called on Gov. Cliff Finch. Eagerly, Cliff called in the Capitol press corps, giving me a chance to have a pleasant chat with the admiral and share my recollections of having his Dad on board the Potter. (Read the Full Story Here)