CHAPTER FOUR
Character and Core Values
McCain's family history bred in him a code of honor, integrity and an independent streak. Then came the brutal years as a POW in Hanoi.
- Related Interviews
Orson Swindle
A fellow POW in Hanoi -- he shared a cell with McCain -- Swindle talks about Vietnam's effect on him.
Mark Salter
McCain's longtime speechwriter and co-author discusses Vietnam's influence on the senator, and on his views on Iraq.
RELATED CONTENT FOR CHAPTER FOUR
McCain, Iraq, and Torture
McCain's Core Values
A roundup of views from people interviewed for this FRONTLINE report.
A roundup of views from people interviewed for this FRONTLINE report.
Rumsfeld and McCain on Abu Ghraib
Transcript of the testimony of Defense Secretary Rumsfeld on Abu Ghraib, given before a Senate Committee. It includes McCain's pointed questioning. (May 7, 2004)
Transcript of the testimony of Defense Secretary Rumsfeld on Abu Ghraib, given before a Senate Committee. It includes McCain's pointed questioning. (May 7, 2004)
An Enduring Peace Built on Freedom
Laying out his foreign policy views in Foreign Affairs in 2007, McCain was steadfast on achieving success in Iraq.
Laying out his foreign policy views in Foreign Affairs in 2007, McCain was steadfast on achieving success in Iraq.
The McCain Doctrines
A New York Times Magazine piece by Matt Bai examining McCain's foreign policy views over the years. (May 18, 2008)
A New York Times Magazine piece by Matt Bai examining McCain's foreign policy views over the years. (May 18, 2008)
McCain and Vietnam
The Years as a POW in Hanoi
A roundup of views from people interviewed for this FRONTLINE report.
A roundup of views from people interviewed for this FRONTLINE report.
John McCain, Prisoner of War: A First- Person Account
U.S. News and World Report published this article by McCain in May 1973, not long after he was released.
U.S. News and World Report published this article by McCain in May 1973, not long after he was released.
In Ordeal as Captive, Character Was Shaped
For this profile of McCain's ordeal, The Washington Post reviewed thousands of documents and interviewed dozens of Vietnamese and former POWs. (October 5, 2008)
For this profile of McCain's ordeal, The Washington Post reviewed thousands of documents and interviewed dozens of Vietnamese and former POWs. (October 5, 2008)
The Wars of John McCain
The Atlantic's Jeffrey Goldberg asks, "Is McCain's quest for victory [in Iraq] a reflection of an antiquated pre-Vietnam mind-set? Or of a commitment to principles we abandon at our peril?" (October 2008)
The Atlantic's Jeffrey Goldberg asks, "Is McCain's quest for victory [in Iraq] a reflection of an antiquated pre-Vietnam mind-set? Or of a commitment to principles we abandon at our peril?" (October 2008)
McCain's Family
Family
A roundup of views from people interviewed for this FRONTLINE report.
A roundup of views from people interviewed for this FRONTLINE report.
Hidden Depths
Newsweek editor Jon Meacham interviewed Sen. McCain for this piece on the influence of his four-star admiral father. (August 30, 2008)
Newsweek editor Jon Meacham interviewed Sen. McCain for this piece on the influence of his four-star admiral father. (August 30, 2008)
The Separate Peace of John and Carol
A Washington Post profile of McCain's first wife, Carol, who was badly injured in an automobile accident while her husband was in captivity. (October 6, 2008)
A Washington Post profile of McCain's first wife, Carol, who was badly injured in an automobile accident while her husband was in captivity. (October 6, 2008)
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