MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2018 1st Extraordinary Session
To: Rules
By: Senator(s) Burton, Blackwell, Blount, Branning, Browning, Carmichael, Caughman, Chassaniol, Clarke, Dawkins, DeBar, Dearing, Doty, Fillingane, Frazier, Gollott, Harkins, Hopson, Horhn, Jackson (11th), Jackson (15th), Jackson (32nd), Jordan, Kirby, Massey, McMahan, Michel, Norwood, Parker, Polk, Seymour, Simmons (12th), Simmons (13th), Watson, Whaley, Wiggins, Wilemon
A RESOLUTION COMMENDING THE LIFE AND REMEMBERING THE MILITARY, CIVIC AND DEDICATED PUBLIC SERVICE OF UNITED STATES SENATOR JOHN SIDNEY MCCAIN, III, AND EXTENDING THE CONDOLENCES OF THE SENATE ON HIS PASSING.
WHEREAS, it is with extreme sadness that we note the passing of the senior United States Senator from Arizona and former nominee for President in the 2008 election, John Sidney McCain, III, who passed away on August 25, 2018; and
WHEREAS, born on August 29, 1936, in Panama -- a U.S. protectorate at the time -- McCain hailed from a distinguished naval family. Both his father and grandfather, who he was named after, were Admirals in the United States Navy; and
WHEREAS, following in their footsteps, McCain enrolled in the United States Naval Academy, which he attended from 1954 until 1958, and after graduation, he embarked on a career as a Naval Aviator, flying dozens of bombing missions during the Vietnam War; and
WHEREAS, on a raid over Hanoi on October 26, 1967, McCain's plane was struck by a missile, forcing him to eject, and breaking both his arms and a leg. He was held by the North Vietnamese as a prisoner of war for 5-1/2 years, more than two of those years spent in solitary confinement; and
WHEREAS, when offered a chance at early release, McCain refused to be repatriated before other American detainees who had been held longer than he, out of respect for the POW Code of Conduct; and
WHEREAS, among the military medals McCain earned were three Bronze Stars, two Purple Hearts, two Legion of Merit Awards, a Silver Star, and the Distinguished Flying Cross; and
WHEREAS, McCain retired from the Navy in 1981, moving to Arizona, and was elected to the United States House of Representatives, where he served two terms before setting his sights on the U.S. Senate, which he joined in 1987 and to which he won easily re-election five times (most recently in 2016); and
WHEREAS, Senator McCain first earned a reputation as a maverick in 2000, when he ran an insurgent campaign to become the Republican nominee for President. The little-known Senator from Arizona's compelling past as a POW and calls for political reform appealed to moderate and independent voters. He ended his candidacy, however, after two major defeats in the primaries, paving the way for then Texas Governor George W. Bush to win the White House; and
WHEREAS, in 2008, Senator McCain made a second attempt at the White House, becoming the Republican nominee but losing the popular vote to Democrat Barack Obama, 53% to 46%; and
WHEREAS, in Congress, Senator McCain emerged as a powerful new Republican voice, one that wasn't afraid of challenging his party. He was a pro-business conservative, free-market advocate and abortion foe, and made election campaign finance reform a signature concern; and
WHEREAS, long before he entered a career in politics, Senator McCain established a Mississippi connection when he spent 2-1/2 years as a Flight Instructor at the Naval Air Station in Meridian in the 1960s. His grandfather, John S. McCain, Sr., was also born in Carroll County, Mississippi, and attended Ole Miss for two years before attending the United States Naval Academy; and
WHEREAS, in 2016, Senator McCain said in a telephone interview that he had wonderful memories of the people in Meridian and Lauderdale County, and was honored to have served as an Instructor at the airfield that was named in memory of his grandfather; and
WHEREAS, Senator McCain died Saturday, August 25, 2018, after battling brain cancer for more than a year, and is survived by his wife, Cindy; his seven children; and five grandchildren. While he has departed this earth, his worldly impact on his friends, family and fellow countrymen will never be forgotten:
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, That we do hereby honor the military, civic and dedicated public service of United States Senator John Sidney McCain, III, and extend the condolences of the Senate to his surviving family on his passing.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this resolution be transmitted to the surviving family of Senator McCain and made available to the Capitol Press Corps.