HIM THIS DAY AND ALWAYS. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU. >> THE WORLD IS A FINE PLACE AND
WORTH FIGHTING FOR.
I HATE VERY MUCH TO LEAVE IT.
WHEN EARNEST HEMMINGWAY ROBERT
JORDAN, LIFE WOUNDED AND WAITING
FOR HIS LAST FIGHTS, THESE ARE
AMONG HIS FINAL THOUGHT.
MY FATHER HAD EVERY REASON TO
THINK THE WORLD WAS AN AWFUL
PLACE.
PLACE. MY FATHER HAD EVERY REASON TO
THINK THE WORLD WAS NOT FIGHTING
FOR.
FOR. MY FATHER HAD EVERY REASON TO
THINK THE WORLD WAS WORTH
LEAVING.
LEAVING. HE DID NOT THINK ANY OF THOSE
THINGS.
THINGS. LIKE THE HERO OF HIS FAVORITE
BOOK, JOHN McCAIN, TOOK THE
OPPOSITE WORLD.
OPPOSITE WORLD. YOU HAVE TO HAVE A LOT OF LUCK
TO HAVE HAD SUCH A GOOD LIFE.
I AM HERE BEFORE YOU TODAY
SAYING THE WORDS I HAVE NEVER
WANTED TO SAY.
GIVING THIS SPEECH, I NEVER
WANTED TO GIVE.
FEELING THE LOSS I HAVE NEVER
WANTED TO FEEL, MY FATHER IS
GONE.
GONE. JOHN McCAIN THE 3rd WAS MANY
THINGS, HE WAS A SAILOR AND AN
AVIATOR, HE WAS A WARRIOR, HE
WAS A PRISONER, HE WAS A HERO,
HE WAS A CONGRESSMAN, HE WAS A
SENATOR, HE WAS A NOMINEE FOR
THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
STATES.
STATES. THESE ARE THE ALL THE TITLES.
THEY ARE NOT THE GREATEST OF THE
TITLE NOR THE MOST IMPORTANT OF
HIS ROLES.
HIS ROLES. HE WAS A GREAT MAN.
WE GATHER HERE TO MOURN THE
AMERICAN GREATNESS.
AMERICAN GREATNESS. THE REAL THING, NOT CHEAP
RHETORIC OF MEN WHO NEVER CAME
NEAR THE SACRIFICE HE GAVE SO
WILLINGLY.
WILLINGLY. HE WAS A GREAT FIRE WHO BURNT
RIGHT.
RIGHT. IN THE PAST FEW DAYS MY FAMILY
AND I HAVE HEARD SO MANY OF
THOSE AMERICANS WHO STOOD IN THE
WARMTH AND LIGHT OF HIS FIRE AND
FOUND IT ILLUMINATING AND WHAT’S
BEST ABOUT THEM.
WE ARE GRATEFUL TO THEM BECAUSE
THEY ARE GRATEFUL TO HIM.
IF YOU HAVE RESENTED THAT FIRE,
FOR THE TRUTH IT REVEALED ABOUT
THEIR CHARACTER BUT MY FATHER
NEVER CARED WHAT THEY THOUGHT.
EVEN THAT SMALL NUMBERS STILL
HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY AS LONG AS
THEY DRAW BREATH TO LIVE UP THE
EXAMPLE OF JOHN McCAIN.
MY FATHER WAS A GREAT MAN.
HE WAS A GREAT WARRIOR.
HE WAS A GREAT AMERICAN.
I ADMIRE HIM FOR ALL OF THESE
THINGS BUT I LOVE HIM BECAUSE HE
WAS A GREAT FATHER.
MY FATHER KNEW WHAT IT WAS LIKE
TO GROW UP IN THE SHADOW OF
GREATNESS.
GREATNESS. HE DID JUST AS HIS FATHER HAVE
DONE BEFORE HIM.
HE WAS A SON OF A GREAT ADMIRAL
WHO WAS ALSO A SON OF A GREAT
ADMIRAL.
ADMIRAL. WHEN IT CAME TIME FOR JOHN THE
3rd TO BECOME THE MAN, HE HAD NO
CHOICE, HE WALKED IN THE EXACT
SAME PATH.
SAME PATH. HE HAD TO BECOME A SAILOR.
HE HAD TO GO TO WAR.
HE HAD TO HAVE HIS SHOT OF
BECOMING A GREAT ADMIRAL AS THEY
ALSO HAVE DONE.
THE PAST OF HIS FATHER AND
GRANDFATHER LED MY FATHER TO THE
HANOI HILTON.
HANOI HILTON. THIS IS THE PUBLIC LEGEND THAT’S
JOHN McCAIN.
JOHN McCAIN. THIS IS ALL THE BIOGRAPHY AND
CAMPAIGN LITERATURE THAT SHOWED
HIS CHARACTER, HIS PATRIOTISM
AND ENDURANCE OF THE WORST
POSSIBLE CIRCUMSTANCES.
POSSIBLE CIRCUMSTANCES. THIS IS WHERE WE LEARN WHO JOHN
McCAIN WAS.
McCAIN WAS. ALL OF THAT IS VERY TRUE EXCEPT
FOR THE LAST PART.
TODAY I WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU
WHO JOHN McCAIN REALLY WAS.
HE WAS NOT IN THE HANOI HILTON.
IT WAS NOT IN A COCKPIT OF A
FAST LETHAL FIGHTER JET.
IT WAS NOT ON THE HIGH SEAS OR
THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL.
JOHN McCAIN WAS IN ALL OF THESE
PLACES BUT THE BEST OF HIM WAS
SOME WHERE ELSE.
THE BEST OF JOHN McCAIN, THE
GREATEST OF HIS HIT LTITLES AND
MOST IMPORTANT OF HIS ROLES WAS
AS A FATHER.
IMAGINE A WARRIOR, THE NIGHT OF
THE SKY GENTLY CARRYING HIS
LITTLE GIRL TO BED AND IMAGINE
THE DASHING AVIATOR WHO TOOK HIS
AIRCRAFT HURDLING OFF PITCHING
DEATH IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEAS,
KISSING THE HURT WHEN I FELL AND
SKIN MY KNEE.
IMAGINE THE STATESMAN WHO
COUNSELED PRESIDENTS AND THE
POWERFUL AND SINGING WITH HIS
LITTLE GIRL AT OLD CREEK DURING
THE RAINSTORM.
THE RAINSTORM. IMAGINE THE SENATEOR FEARS
CONSCIOUS OF THE NATION’S BEST
SELF TAKING HIS 14-YEAR-OLD
DAUGHTER OUT OF SCHOOL BECAUSE
HE BELIEVED THAT I WOULD LEARN
MORE ABOUT AMERICA AT THE TOWN
HALL HE HELD ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
IMAGINE AN ELDERLY GOVERNMENT
GOVERNMENT -- WITH HIS EYES
SHINING WITH HAPPINESS AS HE
GAVE HIS BLESSING FOR HIS
DAUGHTER’S MARRIAGE.
DAUGHTER’S MARRIAGE. YOU ALL HAVE TO IMAGINE THAT, I
DON’T TO BECAUSE I LIVED IT ALL.
I KNOW WHO HE WAS.
I KNOW WHAT DEFINED HIM.
I GOT TO SEE IT EVERY SINGLE DAY
OF MY BLESSED LIFE.
HE WAS NOT DEFINED BY THE PRISON
OR THE NAVY OR THE SENATE OR THE
REPUBLICAN PARTY OR BY ANY
SINGLE ONE OF THE DEED, OF HIS
EXTRAORDINARY LIFE.
EXTRAORDINARY LIFE. JOHN McCAIN IS DEFINED BY LOVE.
SEVERAL OF YOU OUT THERE ACCUSED
OR CROSSED WORDS WITH YOU OR
FOUND YOURSELF ON THE RECEIVING
END OF HIS FAMOUS TEMPER, DOING
YOUR BEST TO STAY STONED FACE.
DON’T.
DON’T. YOU KNOW FULL WELL THAT IF JOHN
McCAIN WERE IN YOUR SHOES TODAY,
HE WOULD LEAVE SOME SEAWALLALTY
HE LEARNED IN THE NAVY.
HE WOULD KEEP GRINNING.
SHE WAS THE ONLY ONE WHO COULD
DO THAT.
DO THAT. ON THEIR FIRST DATE WHEN HE
STILL DID NOT KNOW WHAT KIND OF
WOMAN SHE WAS, HE RECITED A POEM
TO HER.
TO HER. THERE ARE STRANGE THINGS DONE IN
THE MIDNIGHT SUN BY THE MEN WHO
MOILD FOR GOLD.
HE HAD LEARNED IT IN HANOI.
A PRISONER IN THE NEXT CELL
RAPPED IT OUT IN CODE OVER AND
OVER AGAIN DURING THE LONG YEARS
OF CAPTIVITY.
OF CAPTIVITY. MY FATHER FIGURE THAT CINDY
WOULD SIT THROUGH THAT AND
APPRECIATE THE DARK HUMOR.
SHE MIGHT SIT THROUGH A LIFETIME
WITH HIM AS WELL AND SHE DID.
JOHN McCAIN WAS DEFINED BY LOVE.
THIS LOVE OF MY FATHER FROM MY
MOTHER WAS THE MOST FIERCE AND
LASTING OF THEM ALL, MOM.
LET ME TELL YOU WHAT LOVE MEANT
TO JOHN McCAIN AND ME.
HIS LOVE WAS THE LOVE OF A
FATHER WHO MENTORS AS MUCH AS HE
COMFORTS.
COMFORTS. HE WAS ENDLESSLY PRESENT FOR US
AND NO, WE DID NOT ALWAYS
UNDERSTAND IT, HE WAS ALWAYS
TEACHING.
TEACHING. HE DIDN’T EXPECT US TO BE LIKE
HIM.
HIM. HIS AMBITION FOR US WAS TO BE
BETTER THAN HIM.
ARMED WITH HIS WISDOM AND
INFORMED BY HIS EXPERIENCES LONG
BEFORE WE WERE OLD ENOUGH TO
ASSEMBLE OUR OWN.
AS A GIRL, I DID NOT APPRECIATE
WHAT I MOSTLY APPRECIATE NOW.
HOW HE SUFFERED AND HOW HE BORE
IT WITH HIS STOIC SILENCE THAT
WAS ONCE THE MARK OF THE
AMERICAN MAN.
AMERICAN MAN. I CAME TO APPRECIATE IT FIRST
WHEN HE DEMANDED OF ME.
I WAS A SMALL GIRL THROWN FROM A
HORSE AND CRYING FROM A BUSTED
COLLARBONE.
COLLARBONE. MY DAD PICKED ME UP AND TOOK ME
TO THE DOCTOR AND GOT ME FIXED
UP AND HE TOOK ME BACK HOME AND
MADE ME GET BACK ON THE SAME
HORSE.
HORSE. I WAS FURIOUS AT HIM AS A CHILD
BUT HOW I LOVE HIM FOR IT NOW.
MY FATHER KNEW PAIN AND
SUFFERING WITH AN INTIMACY THAT
MOST OF US ARE BLESSED AND NEVER
HAVING TO ENDURE.
HE WAS SHOT DOWN, HE WAS
CRIPPLED, HE WAS BEATEN AND
STARVED AND TORTURED AND HUE
HUMILIATE
HUMILIATE HUMILIATED.
HUMILIATED. THAT MAIN NEVER LEFT HIM.
YET, HE SURVIVED.
YET, HE ENDURED.
YET, HE TRIUMPHED.
THERE WAS THIS MAN WHO HAD BEEN
THROUGH ALL THAT WITH A LITTLE
GIRL WHO DID NOT WANT TO GET
BACK ON HER HORSE.
HE COULD HAVE SAT ME DOWN AND
TOLD ME ALL OF THAT AND MADE ME
FEEL SMALL BECAUSE MY CLAYTON
ANDCOMPLAINT
ANDCOMPLAINT WAS NOTHING NEXT TO HIS MISERY.
MEGHAN HE SAYS, HIS QUIET VOICE
THAT SPOKE WITH AUTHORITY, GET
BACK ON THE HORSE.
BECAUSE I WAS A LITTLE GIRL, I
RESENTED IT.
RESENTED IT. NOW THAT I AM A WOMAN, I LOOK
BACK AT THAT TIME AND SEE THE
EXPRESSION ON HIS FACE WHEN I
CLIMB BACKUP AND RODE AGAIN.
I SEE THE PRIDE AND LOVE IN HIS
EYES AS HE SAID, NOTHING IS
GOING TO BREAK YOU.
THE REST OF MY LIFE WHEN EVER I
FALL DOWN, I GET BACKUP AND WHEN
EVER I AM HURT, I DRIVE ON.
WHEN I BROUGHT LOW, I RISE.
IT IS NOT BECAUSE I AM STRONG OR
RESILIENT.
RESILIENT. IT IS SIMPLY BECAUSE MY FATHER,
JOHN McCAIN, WAS.
WHEN MY FATHER GOT SICK, I ASKED
HIM WHAT HE WANTED ME TO DO WITH
THIS EULOGY, HE SAID, SHOW THEM
HOW TOUGH YOU ARE.
THAT’S WHAT LOVE MEANT TO JOHN
McCAIN.
McCAIN. LOVE FOR MY FATHER ALSO MEANT
CARING FOR THE NATION AND
TRUSTED HIM.
TRUSTED HIM. MY FATHER THE TRUE SON OF HIS
FATHER AND HIS GRANDFATHER WAS
BORN INTO AN ENDURING SENSE OF
THE HEART ONE CHARACTER OF
AMERICAN’S GREATNESS AND WAS
CONVINCED THE NEED TO DEFEND IT
WITH FAITH.
WITH FAITH. JOHN McCAIN WAS BORN IN THE OUT
POST OF AMERICAN POWER.
HE UNDERSTOOD AMERICA AS A
SECRET TRUST.
SECRET TRUST. HE UNDERSTOOD OUR PUBLIC
DEMANDS, RESPONSIBILITIES EVEN
BEFORE IT DEFENDS ITS RIGHTS.
HE KNEW NAVIGATING THE LINE
BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL WAS OFTEN
DIFFICULT BUT ALWAYS SYMBOL.
HE GRASPED THAT OUR PURPOSE AND
MEANING WAS ROUTED IN A
MISSIONARY RESPONSIBILITIES
MISSIONARY RESPONSIBILITIES STRETCHING BACK CENTURIES.
JUST AS THE FIRST AMERICAN
LOOKING UPON A NEW WORLD OF
GRAND EXPERIENCE AND FREEDOM.
THE AMERICA OF JOHN McCAIN IS
THE AMERICA OF THE REVOLUTION.
FIGHTER WITH NO STOMACH FOR THE
SUMMER SOLDIER AND THE SUNSHINE
PATRIOTS, MAKING THE WORLD A NEW
WITH THE BELL OF LIBERTY.
THE AMERICA OF JOHN McCAIN IS
THE AMERICA OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN,
FULFILLING THE PROMISE OF THE
DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE THAT
ALL MEN ARE CREATED EQUAL AND
SUFFERING GREATLY TO SEE IT
THROUGH.
THROUGH. THE AMERICA OF JOHN McCAIN IS
THE AMERICA OF THE BOYS WHO
RUSHED THE COLORS OF EVERY WAR
ACROSS THE THREE COUNTRY KNOWING
THAT IN THEM IS THE LIFE OF THE
REPUBLIC AND THOSE BY THEIR
DARING AS RONALD REAGAN SAID
GAVE UP THEIR CHANCE OF BEING
HUSBANDS AND FATHERS AND GRAND
FAURP
FAURP FATHERS AND GAVE UP THEIR CHANCE
TO BE REVERE OLD MEN.
THE AMERICA OF JOHN McCAIN IS
THE AMERICA OF VIETNAM.
FIGHTING THE FIGHT EVEN IN THE
MOST GRIM CIRCUMSTANCES AND EVEN
IN THE MOST DISTANT AND HOSTILE
CORNER OF THE WORLD AND STANDING
AND DEFEAT THE LIFE AND LIBERTY
OF OTHER PEOPLE IN THE LAND.
THE AMERICA OF JOHN McCAIN IS
GENEROUS AND BOLD AND SECURE.
SHE’S RESOURCEFUL.
SHE’S RESOURCEFUL. SHE MEETS HER RESPONSIBILITIES.
SHE SPEAKS QUIETLY BECAUSE SHE’S
STRONG.
STRONG. AMERICA DOES NOT BOAST BECAUSE
SHE HAS NO NEED TO.
THE AMERICA OF JOHN McCAIN HAS
NO NEED TO MADE GREAT AGAIN.
AMERICA WAS ALWAYS GREAT.
>> THAT FAITH, THAT PROVEN
DEVOTION, THAT ABIDING LOVE,
THAT IS WHAT DROVE MY FATHER TO
THE BRINK OF THE PRESIDENCY
ITSELF.
ITSELF. LOVE DEFINED MY FATHER.
AS A YOUNG MAN HE WONDERED IF
HE’LL MEASURE UP.
I MISS HIM SO BADLY.
I WANT TO TELL HIM THAT HE DID.
BUT, I TAKE SMALL COMFORT IN
THIS SOME WHERE IN THE GREAT
BEYOND WHERE THE WARRIORS GO,
THERE ARE TWO ADMIRALS MEETING
THEIR MUCH LOVED SON.
THEY’RE TELLING HIM HE’S THE
GREATEST AMONG THEM.
DAD, I LOVE YOU.
I ALWAYS HAVE.
ALL THAT I AM AND ALL THAT I
HOPE, ALL THAT I DREAM IS
GROUNDED IN WHAT YOU TAUGHT ME.
YOU LOVED ME AND YOU SHOWED ME
WHAT LOVE MUST BE.
AN ANCIENT GREEK HISTORIANS
WROTE, TO HAVE YOUR GREATNESS IS
WOVEN INTO MY LIFE.
IT IS WOVEN INTO MY MOTHER’S
LIFE AND MY SISTER’S LIFE AND IT
IS WOVEN INTO MY BROTHERS’
LIVES.
LIVES. IT IS WOVEN INTO LIFE AND
LIBERTY OF THE COUNTRY YOU
SACRIFICED SO MUCH TO DEFEND.
DAD, I KNOW YOU ARE NOT PERFECT,
WE LIVE IN AN ERA WHERE WE
KNOCKED DOWN OLD AMERICAN HEROES
FOR ALL THEIR I AMMPERFECTIONS.
YOU GAVE US AN IDEA TO STRIVE
FOR.
FOR. LOOK, I KNOW YOU CAN SEE THIS
GATHERING HERE IN THIS
CATHEDRAL.
CATHEDRAL. THE NATION TO SIT HERE TO
REMEMBER YOU.
REMEMBER YOU. LIKE SO MANY OTHER HEROES, YOU
LEAVE US STRAIGHT IN THE FLAG
YOU LOVE, YOU DEFENDED US AND
YOU SACRIFICED IT AND YOU HAVE
ALWAYS HONORED IT.
IT IS GOOD TO REMEMBER, WE ARE
AMERICANS, WE DON’T PUT OUR
HEROES ON PEDESTALS JUST TO
REMEMBER THEM.
REMEMBER THEM. WE RAISE THEM UP BECAUSE WE WANT
TO EMULATE THEIR VIRTUES AND
THIS IS HOW WE HONOR THEM AND
THIS IS HOW WE’LL HONOR YOU.
MY FATHER IS GONE.
MY FATHER IS GONE.
MY
MY I KNOW HIS LIFE AND I KNOW IT
WAS GREAT BECAUSE IT WAS GOOD.
AS MUCH AS I HATE TO SEE HIM GO,
I DO KNOW HOW IT ENDED.
ON THE AFTERNOON OF AUGUST 25th,
IN FRONT OF OAK CREEK IN ARIZONA
SURROUNDED BY THE FAMILY HE
LOVED SO MUCH.
AN OLD MAN SHOOK OFF THE SCARS
OF BATTLE ONE LAST TIME, ROSE A
NEW MAN TO PILOT ONE LAST PLATE
UP AND UP AND UP, BUSTING CLOUDS
LEFT AND RIGHT, STRAIGHT ON
THROUGH TO THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN
AND HE SLIPPED THE EARTH, PUT
OUT HIS HAND AND TOUCHED THE