John McCain

John McCain

When most people think of John McCain, they think of a US Senator. Those people obviously don't know him well because there is much more to him than being a senator. John McCain is not only a senator, but he also was tortured in prison for five and a half years, and suffered from skin cancer twice.

John Sidney McCain was born on August 29, 1936, in the Panama Canal zone. When he grew older he became a pilot in the navy. His dad and grandfather were both admirals, so John grew up around the navy. During the Vietnam War, McCain volunteered for combat duty. On October 26, 1967, during his 23rd air mission, his plane was shot down. He was tortured and beaten for information, but never said anything. Because he was the son of a ranking officer, he was offered early release. Since he thought it wouldn't be fair for others, he spent the whole five and a half years in jail.

McCain was so badly tortured and beaten that he couldn't be a pilot anymore. That was when he was introduced to politics. In 1980, after marrying his second wife, McCain moved to Arizona, and began working on establishing connections in politics. He was first elected to political office in 1982, easily winning a seat in the House of Representatives.

In August 2000, McCain was diagnosed with skin cancer for the second time. The doctors found lesions on this face and arm, unrelated to the similar lesion he had in 1993. He underwent surgery, during which all the cancerous tissue was removed. Due to McCain's determination, he was back in the headlines in Spring 2001.

McCain is now still married to Cindy McCain, and has four children. I think John McCain shows an immense amount of heroism. From his life in solitary confinement, to overcoming cancer, John McCain has done it all. This is why he is my hero.