John S. McCain Sr.

"[8][9] His classmates included William L. Calhoun, Aubrey W. Fitch, Frank J. Fletcher, Robert L. Ghormley, Isaac C. Kidd, Leigh Noyes, John H. Towers and Russell Willson.

The Connecticut sailed through the Suez Canal and participated in disaster relief efforts for the 1908 Messina earthquake in Sicily before reaching Hampton Roads on 22 February 1909.

He appeared before the examination board for promotion to the rank of lieutenant (junior grade) on 2 February 1911 and was questioned about his knowledge of seamanship, navigation, gunnery, and engineering.

While there, he was promoted to lieutenant on 5 August 1912, backdated to 1 July, and he temporarily commanded the torpedo boat USS Stockton during a naval review in New York from 13 to 15 October 1912.

[11][16][15] McCain and the San Diego served on convoy duty in the Atlantic Ocean,[11] escorting shipping through the first dangerous leg of their passages to Europe.

He served on a board that drafted regulations and legislation for such transfers, and published an article in the US Naval Institute Proceedings on the wartime "hump" of officers and the system of promotion based on seniority.

[18][19] In addition to professional articles in the Proceedings, during the inter-war years, McCain was a would-be author who wrote fiction that was never published, including some adventure stories under the name Casper Clubfoot.

McCain wrote theses on the "Causes of the Spanish American War, and the Naval and Combined Operations in the Atlantic, Including the Transfer of the Oregon" and "Foreign Policies of the United States".

[31][32] On 18 April 1936, McCain was detached from flight training and went to Naval Air Station North Island in San Diego, where he reported to the aircraft carrier USS Lexington, which was commanded by Annapolis classmate Captain Aubrey Fitch.

The embarked air group consisted of four squadrons: VF-4, equipped with Grumman F3F fighters; VB-4, with Great Lakes BG dive bombers; and VS-41 and VS-42, with Vought SBU Corsair scout-bombers.

He therefore prodded the Bureau of Ordnance to modify the Mark 13 torpedo so that it could be released from an altitude of 200 to 300 feet (61 to 91 m), thereby reducing the risk of aircraft crashing into the sea at night.

Admiral Arthur J. Hepburn, a former commander in chief, United States Fleet, and the chairman of the General Board, conducted an investigation into the circumstances.

"[53] In the aftermath of the disaster, the commander of the South Pacific Area, Vice Admiral Robert L. Ghormley, ordered McCain to withdraw the seaplane tenders USS Mackinac and McFarland from Malaita and Ndeni respectively, which he regarded as now too vulnerable.

The following day, the escort carrier USS Long Island arrived at Suva with 18 F4F Wildcat fighters and 12 SBD Dauntless dive bombers.

The ship's captain asserted that the marine fighter pilots were not sufficiently trained to take off from the carrier, so McCain swapped eight of them with more experienced aviators from Efate.

[59][60] McCain was awarded the Navy Distinguished Service Medal for his part in "the occupation of the Guadalcanal-Tulagi area by our forces and the destruction and serious damaging of numerous aircraft and vessels of the enemy".

"[62] His son Gordon wrote a rebuttal letter to Time, pointing out that while McCain "has had no armchair or laboratory contact with 'air developments' he has had considerable peacetime and some combat flying experience.

[69] Like many personnel who had served on Guadalcanal, McCain's sleep had been interrupted by Washing Machine Charlie, Japanese aircraft that had conducted nocturnal operations over the island.

From 26 May to 21 June, McCain was on board the cruiser USS Indianapolis, the flagship of the fleet commander, Admiral Raymond A. Spruance, whence he was able to observe the invasion of Saipan and the Battle of the Philippine Sea.

His citation read:The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to John Sidney McCain, Vice Admiral, U.S. Navy, for extraordinary heroism and distinguished service in the line of his profession as Commander, Task Group 38.1, after the torpedoing of the USS Canberra and USS Houston by Japanese aerial forces, ninety miles off the Island of Formosa, during the period 13 to 15 October 1944.

Vice Admiral McCain's inspiring leadership and the valiant devotion to duty of his command contributed in large measure to the outstanding success of these vital missions and reflect great credit upon the United States Naval Service.

[84][85] At 08:46 on 24 October, with indications of an impending naval battle, Halsey ordered McCain to reverse course, refuel at sea, and conduct air searches.

Being tied to a single location made the Third Fleet vulnerable, and between October and December, three aircraft carriers were sufficiently badly damaged by kamikaze attacks to have to return to shipyards for repairs.

[93] A series of air strikes against targets in French Indochina saw Task Force 38 sink 15 warships and 29 merchant ships, twelve of which were oil tankers.

[95] McCain was awarded a Gold Star to his Distinguished Service Medal on 23 March 1945, for his "brilliant tactical control" of the fast carrier forces during operations in the Philippines and South China Sea from September 1944 to January 1945.

At 04:20 on 5 June, Clark, in command of Task Group 38.1, which was getting the worst of the storm, informed McCain that he could steer clear of it by altering course to 120 degrees.

[99][104][105] On 15 July, McCain was informed that he would be handing over command of Task Force 38 to Towers on 1 September 1945 and become the deputy head of the Veterans Administration under General Omar Bradley.

[108] McCain requested home leave to recuperate, but Halsey insisted that he be present at the Japanese surrender ceremony in Tokyo Bay on 2 September.

His citation read: Combining brilliant tactics with effective measures to counter the enemy's fanatical aerial onslaughts, he hurled the might of his aircraft against the remnants of the much-vaunted Japanese Navy to destroy or cripple the every remaining major hostile ship by 28 July.

An inspiring and fearless leader, Vice Admiral McCain maintained a high standard of fighting efficiency in his gallant force while pressing home devastating attacks which shattered the enemy's last vital defensive hope and rendered him unable to protect his shipping even in waters off the mainland of Japan.

Black and white photograph of a ship's deck while at sea. A man in a black jacket and hat, standing on the left deck of a gun, is seen addressing multiple young man wearing naval uniforms
McCain as a young ensign listens to President Theodore Roosevelt as he stands on a gun turret to address the officers and men of the USS Connecticut , upon its return as a part of the Great White Fleet in February 1909 in Hampton Roads, Virginia
Black and white photograph of two men in naval uniforms facing the camera talking to two men, one in naval uniform and one wearing a suit and hat, both standing with their backs to the camera
McCain in the control tower at Naval Air Station North Island with Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox in September 1940
Color photograph of a framed document, on the left page is a black and white photograph and on the right page is a certificate
McCain's naval aviator certificate
Color photograph of a document put out by the White House on 26 May 1941
McCain's rear admiral nomination
Black and white photograph of three men in khakis in a tropical area
McCain (left) with Colonel LaVerne G. Saunders and Major General Millard Harmon at Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides, in August 1942
Black and white photograph. A man in dark khakis is at the head of the table, with three men seated to his left side and four to his right
McCain chairs a conference on aviation training in Washington, DC, from 16 to 17 June 1943
Black and white photograph of a man and woman in front of a fireplace
McCain at the launch of the new Essex -class USS Bon Homme Richard at the New York Navy Yard on 29 April 1944, with his wife Kate, who was the ship sponsor at the launch ceremonies.
Black and white photograph of two men in naval uniforms examining some documents placed on a table
McCain and Task Force 38 Operations Officer Commander John S. Thach work on operations plans in the flag plot spaces on board USS Hancock
Black and white photograph of two men seated in an office. Both are wearing khakis
McCain (left) and Admiral William F. Halsey Jr. , Commander of the Third Fleet , confer on board Halsey's flagship, the battleship USS New Jersey , en route to the Philippines in December 1944.
Black and white photograph of two men in khakis standing near a ship's railings, with many men a little behind them on the deck
McCain (right) with Halsey on the battleship USS Missouri on 2 September 1945, shortly after the ceremony in which Japan surrendered, ending World War II.
Black and white photograph of four men in khakis on a ship at sea
With Assistant Secretary of the Navy (AIR) John L. Sullivan aboard the aircraft carrier USS Shangri-La in July 1945
Black and white photograph of six men in khakis standing around a table raising their glasses
Senior U.S. and British Navy officers toast the end of World War II aboard the USS Missouri on 22 August 1945. Those present are (left to right): Rear Admiral Robert B. Carney , Captain Peter Reid , Vice Admiral Sir Bernard Rawlings , Admiral William F. Halsey , McCain, and Rear Admiral Wilder D. Baker
Black and white photograph of two men, one young and one old, both in khakis standing near a railing on some kind of elevated structure
With son John S. McCain Jr. in Tokyo Bay , 2 September 1945. McCain died four days later.
Black and white photograph of a cap placed on a table
McCain's lucky cap was donated to the San Diego Air & Space Museum but was destroyed in a fire in 1978. [ 117 ]