HIM THIS DAY AND ALWAYS. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU. THE WORLD IS A FINE PLACE AND
WORTH FIGHTING FOR AND I HATE
VERY MUCH TO LEAVE IT.
FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS LIES
WOUNDED AND WAITING FOR LAST
FIGHT.
FIGHT. THESE ARE AMONG HIS FINAL
THOUGHTS.
THOUGHTS. 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 WORTH
FIGHTING FOR.
FIGHTING 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, HE TOOK THE OPPOSITE VIEW.
I AM HERE BEFORE YOU TODAY
SAYING THE WORDS I HAVE NEVER
WANTED TO SAY.
MY FATHER IS GONE.
JOHN SIDNEY McCAIN THE THIRD WAS
MANY THINGS.
MANY THINGS. HE WAS A SAILOR.
HE WAS AN AVIATOR, HE WAS A
HUSBAND, HE WAS A WARRIOR, HE
WAS A PRISONER, HE WAS A HERO,
HE WAS A CONGRESSMAN, HE WAS A
SENATOR.
SENATOR. HE WAS A NOMINEE FOR THE
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.
THESE ARE ALL THE TITLES AND THE
ROLLS OF A LIFE THAT HAS BEEN
WELL LIVED.
WELL LIVED. THEY ARE NOT THE GROWTHEST OF
HIS
HIS GREATEST OF HIS TITLES NOR THE
MOST IMPORTANT OF HIS ROLLS.
HE WAS A GREAT MAN.
WE GARTHTHER HERE TO MOURN THE
PASSING OF GREATNESS.
THE REAL THING.
HE GAVE SO WILLINGLY.
NOR THE OPPORTUNISTIC
APPROPRIATION OF THOSE WHO LIVE
LIVES OF COMFORT AND PRIVILEGE
WHILE HE SUFFERED AND SERVED.
HE WAS A GREAT FIRE WHO BURNED
BRIGHT.
BRIGHT. IN A PAST FEW DAYS MY FAMILY AND
I HAVE HEARD FROM SO MANY OF
THOSE AMERICANS WHO STOOD IN THE
WARMTH AND LIGHT OF HIS FIRE.
AND FOUNDED IT ILLUMINATED WHAT
IS BEST ABOUT THEM.
WE ARE GRATEFUL TO THEM BECAUSE
THEY ARE GRATEFUL TO HIM.
A FEW HAVE RESENTED THAT FIRE,
FOR THE LIGHT IT CAST UPON THEM.
FOR THE TRUTH IT REVEALED ABOUT
THEIR CHARACTER.
THEIR CHARACTER. MY FATHER NEVER CARED WHAT THEY
THOUGHT AND EVEN THAT SMALL
NUMBER STILL HAVE THE
OPPORTUNITY AS LONG AS THEY DRAW
BREATH TO LIVE UP TO THE EXAMPLE
OF JOHN McCAIN.
MY FATHER WAS A GREAT MAN.
HE WAS A GREAT WARRIOR.
HE WAS A GREAT AMERICAN.
I ADMIRED 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 HAD
DONE BEFORE HIM.
HE WAS THE SON OF A GREAT
ADMIRAL WHO WAS ALSO THE SON OF
A GREAT ADMIRAL.
WHEN IT CAME TIME FOR THE THIRD
JOHN SIDNEY McCAIN TO BECOME A
MAN, HE HAD NO CHOICE, BUT IN
HIS OWN EYES TO WALK IN THOSE
EXACT SAME PATHS.
HE HAD TO BECOME A SAILOR.
HE HAD TO GO TO WAR.
HE HAD TO HAVE HIS SHOT AT
BECOMING A GREAT ADMIRAL AS THEY
ALSO HAD DONE.
THE PASS OF HIS FATHER AND
GRANDFATHER LED MY FATHER
DIRECTLY TO THE HARROWING HELL
OF THE HILTON.
THIS IS THE PUBLIC LEGEND THAT
IS JOHN McCAIN.
THIS IS WHERE ALL THE
BIOGRAPHIES, CAMPAIGN LITERATURE
AND PUBLIC REMEMBRANCES SAY HE
SHOWED CHARACTER, PATRIOTISM,
FAITH AND ENDURANCE IN THE WORST
OF POSSIBLE CIRCUMSTANCES.
THIS IS WHERE WE LEARNED WHO
JOHN McCAIN TRULY WAS.
ALL OF THAT IS VERY TRUE EXCEPT
FOR THE LAST PART.
TODAY I WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU
WHERE I FOUND OUT WHO JOHN
McCAIN TRULY WAS.
IT WASN’T IN THE HANOI HILTON.
WASN’T IN THE COCKPIT OF A FAST
AND LEGAL FIGHTER JET.
IT WASN’T ON THE HIGH SEAS OR
THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL.
JOHN McCAIN WAS IN ALL THOSE
PLACES, BUT THE BEST OF HIM WAS
SOMEWHERE ELSE.
SOMEWHERE ELSE. THE BEST OF HIM, THE GREATEST OF
HIS TITLES AND MOST IMPORTANT OF
HIS ROLES WAS AS A FATHER.
IMAGINE THE WARRIOR THE NIGHT OF
THE SKIES GENTLY CARRYING HIS
LITTLE GIRL TO BED.
IMAGINE THE DASHING AVIATOR THAT
TOOK HIS AIRCRAFT HURDLING OFF
PITCHING DECKS IN THE SOUTH
CHINA SEAS KISSING THE HURT WHEN
I FELL AND SKINNED MY KNEE.
IMAGINE THE DISTINGUISHED
STATESMAN WHO COUNSELLED
PRESIDENTS AND THE POWERFUL
SINGING WITH HIS LITTLE GIRL IN
OAK CREEK DURING A RAINSTORM TO
SINGING IN THE RAIN.
IMAGINE THE SENATOR 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
HALLS HE HELD ACROSS THE
COUNTRY.
COUNTRY. IMAGINE THE ELDERLY VETERAN OF
WAR IN GOVERNMENT WHOSE WAS DOM
AND COURAGE WERE SOUGHT BY THE
MOST DISTINGUISHED MEN OF OUR
TIME WITH HIS EYES SHINING WITH
HAPPINESS AS HE GAVE BLESSING
FOR HIS GROWN DAUGHTER’S
MARRIAGE.
MARRIAGE. YOU ALL HAVE TO IMAGINE THAT.
I DON’T HAVE TO BECAUSE I LIVED
IT ALL.
IT ALL. I KNOW WHO HE WAS.
I KNOW WHAT DEFINED HIM.
I GOT TO SEE IT EVERY SINGLE DAY
OF MY BLESSED LIFE.
JOHN McCAIN WAS NOT DEFINED BY
PRISON, BY THE NAVY, BY THE
SENATE, BY THE REPUBLICAN PARTY
OR BY ANY SINGLE ONE OF THE
DEEDS IN HIS ABSOLUTELY
EXTRAORDINARY LIFE.
EXTRAORDINARY LIFE. JOHN McCAIN WAS DEFINED BY LOVE.
SEVERAL OF YOU OUT THERE IN THE
PEWS WHO CROSS SWORDS WITH HIM
OR FOUND YOURSELF ON THE
RECEIVING END OF FAMOUS TEMPER
OR WERE AT A CROSS PURPOSES TO
HIM ON NEARLY EVERYTHING RIGHT
AT THIS MOMENT DOING YOU’RE BEST
TO STAY STONE FACED.
DON’T YOU KNOW IF JOHN McCAIN
WERE IN YOUR SHOES HERE TODAY HE
WOULD BE USING SOME SALTY WORD
HE USED IN THE NAVY WHILE MY
MOTHER JABBED HIM IN
EMBARRASSMENT.
EMBARRASSMENT. HE WOULD KEEP GRINNING.
SHE WAS THE ONLY ONE WHO COULD
DO THAT.
DO THAT. ON THEIR FIRST DATE EN HE
STILL DID NOT KNOW WHAT SORT OF
WOMAN SHE WAS, HE RECITED A
ROBERT SERVICE POEM TO HER
CALLED THE CREMATION OF SAM
McGEE ABOUT AN ALASKAN
PROSPECTOR WHO WELCOMES HIS
CREATION AS THE ONLY WAY TO GET
WARM IN THE ICY NORTH.
THERE ARE STRANGE THINGS DONE IN
THE MIDNIGHT SON BY THE MEN WHO
WANT GOLD.
WANT GOLD. HE HAD LEARNED IT IN HANOI.
A PRISONER IN THE NEXT CELL HAD
WRAPPED IT OUT IN CODE OVER AND
OVER AGAIN IN THE LONG YEARS OF
CAPT
CAPT CAPTIVITY.
CAPTIVITY. MY FATHER FIGURED IF SHE WOULD
SIT THROUGH THAT, SHE JUST MIGHT
SIT THROUGH A LIFETIME WITH HIM
AS WELL.
AS WELL. AND SHE DID.
JOHN McCAIN WAS DEFINED BY LOVE.
THIS LOVE OF MY FATHER FOR 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.
FATHER. HE WAS ENDLESSLY PRESENT FOR US
AND THOUGH WE DID NOT ALWAYS
UNDERSTAND IT, HE WAS ALWAYS
TEACHING.
TEACHING. HE DIDN’T EXPECT US TO BE LIKE
HIM.
HIM. HIS AMBITIONS FOR US URN WARNED
FROM ANY WORLDLY ACHIEVEMENT WAS
TO BE BETTER WITH HIM.
ARMED BY HIS WISDOM AND INFORMED
BY HIS EXPERIENCES LONG BEFORE
WE WERE EVEN ABLE TO ASSEMBLE
OUR OWN.
OUR OWN. AS A GIRL I DID NOT FULLY
APPRECIATE WHAT I APPRECIATE
NOW.
NOW. HOW HE SUFFERED AND HOW HE BORE
IT WITH A STOIC SILENCE THAT WAS
ONCE THE MARK OF AN AMERICAN
MAN.
MAN. I CAME TO APPRECIATE IT FIRST
WHEN HE DEMANDED IT OF ME.
I WAS A SMALL GIRL THROWN FROM A
HORSE AND CRYING FROM A BUSTED
COLLARBONE.
COLLARBONE. MY DAD PICKED ME UP, TOOK ME TO
THE DOCTOR AND GOT ME ALL FIXED
UP AND IMMEDIATELY TOOK ME BACK
HOME AND MADE ME GET BACK ON THE
VERY SAME 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 AND
IMMEDIACY MOST OF US ARE BLESSED
NEVER TO HAVE ENDURED.
HE WAS SHOT DOWN, CRIPPLED,
BEATEN, STARVED, HE WAS TORTURED
AND HUMILIATED.
AND HUMILIATED. THAT PAIN NEVER LEFT HIM.
THE CRUELTY OF HIS COMMUNIST
CAPTORS MADE SURE HE WOULD NEVER
RAISE HIS ARMS ABOVE HIS HEAD
FOR THE REST OF HIS LIFE.
YET HE SURVIVED, YET HE ENDURED,
YET HE TRIUMPHED.
AND THERE WAS THIS MAN WHO HAD
BEEN THROUGH ALL THAT WITH A
LITTLE GIRL WHO SIMPLY DIDN’T
WANT TO GET BACK ON HER HORSE.
HE COULD HAVE SAT ME DOWN AND
TOLD ME ALL THAT AND MADE ME
FEEL SMALL BECAUSE MY COMPLAINT
AND FEAR WAS NOTHING NEXT TO HIS
PAIN AND MEMORY.
INSTEAD, HE MADE ME FEEL LOVED.
MAEGAN, HE SAID, HIS QUIET VOICE
THAT SPOKE WITH AUTHORITY AND
MEANT YOU HAD BEST OBEY, GET
BACK ON THE HORSE.
I DID AND BECAUSE I WAS A LITTLE
GIRL, I RESENTED IT.
NOW THAT I AM A WOMAN, I LOOK
BACK ACROSS THAT TIME AND SEE
THE EXPRESSION ON HIS FACE WHEN
I CLIMBED BACK UP AND ROAD AGAIN
AND I SEE THE PRIDE AND LOVE IN
HIS EYES AS HE SAID, NOTHING IS
GOING TO BREAK YOU.
THE REST OF MY LIFE, WHENEVER I
FALL DOWN, I GET BACK UP.
WHENEVER I AM HURT, I DRIVE ON.
WHENEVER I AM LOW, I RISE.
THAT IS NOT BECAUSE I AM
UNIQUELYUNIQUE
UNIQUELYUNIQUE LY VIRTUOUS OR STRONG OR
RESILIENT.
RESILIENT. IT IS SIMPLY BECAUSE MY FATHER,
JOHN McCAIN, WAS.
WHEN MY FATHER GOT SICK, WHEN I
ASKED HIM WHAT HE WANTED ME TO
DO WITH THIS EULOGY, HE SAID,
SHOW THEM HOW TOUGH YOU ARE.
THAT IS WHAT LOVE MEANT TO JOHN
McCAIN.
McCAIN. LOVE FOR MY FATHER ALSO MEANT
CARING FOR THE NATION ENTRUSTED
TO HIM.
TO HIM. MY FATHER THE TRUE SON OF HIS
FATHER AND GRANDFATHER WAS BORN
INTO AN ENDURING SENSE OF THE
HARD ONE CHARACTER OF AMERICAN
GREATNESS AND CONVINCED OF THE
NEED TO DEFEND IT WITH VERFOR
FAITH.
FAITH. HE WAS BORN AN OUTPOST OF POWER.
UNDERSTAND AMERICA AS A SACRED
TRUST.
TRUST. UNDERSTOOD PUBLIC’S DEMAND’S
RESPONSIBILITIES EVEN BEFORE IT
DEFENDS ITS RIGHTS.
HE KNEW NAVIGATING THE LINE
BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL WAS OFTEN
DIFFICULT, BUT ALWAYS SYMBOL.
HE GRASPED IN A MEANING
STRETCHING BACK CENTURIES.
JUST AS AMERICANS LOOKED UPON A
WORLD OF GRAND EXPERIMENT AND
FREEDOM IN SELF GOVERNMENT.
SO THEIR DESCENDENTS HAVE A
RESPONSIBILITY TO DEFEND OLD
WORLD FROM ITS WORST SELF.
THE AMERICA OF JOHN McCAIN IS
THE AMERICA OF THE REVOLUTION.
FIGHTERS WITH NO STOMACH FOR THE
SUMMER SOLDIER AND SUNSHINE
PATRIOT MAKING THE WORLD ANEW
WITH THE BELLS OF LIBERTY.
THE AMERICA OF JOHN McCAIN IS
THE AMERICA OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
FULFILLING THE PROPOSITION OF
THE DECORATION OF INDEPENDENCE
THAT ALL MEN ARE CREATED EQUAL
AND SUFFERING GREATLY TO SEE IT
THROUGH.
THROUGH. THE AMERICA IS THE BOYS THAT
RUSHED TO THE WAR KNOWING IN
THEM IS THE LIFE OF THE REPUBLIC
AND PARTICULARLY THOSE BY THEIR
DARING AS RONALD REAGAN SAID,
GAVE UP THEIR CHANCE AS ATHBEING
HUSBANDS AND GRANDFATHERS.
AND GAVE UP CHANGES TO BE
REVERING OLD MEN.
THE AMERICA OF JOHN McCAIN IS
THE AMERICA OF VIETNAM.
FIGHTING THE FIGHT EVEN IN THE
MOST FORLORN CAUSE AND GRIM
CIRCUMSTANCES AND EVEN IN THE
MOST DISTANT AND HOSTILE CORNER
OF THE WORLD.
STANDING IN DEFEAT FOR THE LIFE
AND LIBERTY OF OTHER PEOPLE IN
OTHER LANDS.
OTHER LANDS. THE AMERICA OF JOHN McCAIN IS
GENEROUS AND WELCOMING AND BOLD.
SHE SFL RESOURCEIS RESOURCEFUL A
CONFIDENT.
CONFIDENT. SHE SPEAKS QUIETLY BECAUSE SHE
IS STRONG.
IS STRONG. AMERICA DOES NOT BOAST BECAUSE
SHE HAS NO NEED TO.
THE AMERICA OF JOHN McCAIN HAS
NO NEED TO BE GREAT AGAIN
BECAUSE AMERICA WAS ALWAYS
GREAT.
GREAT. THAT FERVENT FAITH.
THAT PROVEN DEVOTION.
THAT ABIDING LOVE.
THAT IS WHAT DROVE MY FATHER
FROM THE FIERY SKIES ABOVE THE
RED RIVER DELTA TO THE BRINK OF
THE PRESIDENCY ITSELF.
LOVE DEFINED MY FATHER.
AS A YOUNG MAN, HE WONDERED IF
HE WOULD MEASURE UP TO HIS
DISTINGUISHED LINEAGE.
DISTINGUISHED LINEAGE. I MISS HIM SO BADLY.
I WANT TO TELL HIM HE DID.
I TAKE SMALL COMFORT IN THIS.
SOMEWHERE IN THE GREAT BEYOND
WHERE TWO WARRIORS GO, THERE ARE
TWO ADMIRALS MEETING THEIR MUCH
LOVED SON.
LOVED SON. THEY’RE TELLING HIM HE’S THE
GREATEST AMONG THEM.
DAD, I LOVE YOU.
I ALWAYS HAVE.
ALL THAT I AM, ALL THAT I HOPE,
ALL THAT I DREAM IS GROUNDED IN
WHAT YOU TAUGHT ME.
YOU LOVED ME AND YOU SHOWED MED
WHAT LOVE MUST BE.
AN ANCIENT GREEK HISTORIAN WROTE
THE GREAT MEN IS WOVEN IN THE
STUFF OF OTHERS LIVES SLIVES.
DAD YOUR GREATNESS IS WOVEN INTO
MY LIFE.
MY LIFE. IT’S WOVEN INTO MY MOTHER’S
LIFE.
LIFE. IT’S WOVEN INTO MY SISTER’S LIFE
AND WOVEN INTO MY BROTHER’S
LIVES.
LIVES. IT’S WOVEN INTO THE LIFE AND
LIRKT OF THE
LIBERTY OF THE COUNTRY YOU
SACRIFICED SO MUCH TO DEFEND.
I KNOW YOU’RE NOT PERFECT.
WE LIVE IN AN ERA WHERE WE KNOCK
DOWN OLD AMERICAN HEROS FOR
THEIR IMPERFECTIONS.
THEIR IMPERFECTIONS. YOU WERE AN EXCEPTION AND GAVE
US AN IDEAL TO STRIVE FOR.
LOOK, I KNOW YOU CAN SEE THIS
GATHERING HERE IN THIS
CATHEDRAL.
CATHEDRAL. THE NATION IS HERE TO REMEMBER
YOU.
YOU. LIKE SO MANY OTHER HEROS, YOU
LEAVE US DRAPED IN THE FLAG YOU
LOVE.
LOVE. YOU DEFENDED IT.
YOU SACRIFICED IT.
YOU HAVE ALWAYS HONORED IT.
IT IS GOOD TO REMEMBER THAT WE
ARE AMERICANS.
ARE AMERICANS. WE DON’T PUT OUR HEROS ON
PEDESTALS JUST TO REMEMBER THEM.
WE RAISE THEM UP BECAUSE WE WANT
TO EMULATE THEIR VIRTUES.
THIS IS HOW WE HONOR THEM AND
THIS IS HOW WE WILL HONOR YOU.
MY FATHER IS GONE.
MY FATHER IS GONE.
AND MY SARORROW IS IMMENSE.
I KNOW HIS LIFE AND I KNOW IT
WAS GREAT BECAUSE IT WAS GOOD.
AND AS MUCH AS I HATE TO SEE HIM
GO, I DO KNOW HOW IT ENDED.
I KNOW THAT ON THE AFTERNOON OF
AUGUST 25, IN FRONT OF OAK CREEK
IN CORNVILLE ARIZONA, SURROUNDED
BY THE FAMILY HE LOVED SO MUCH,
AN OLD MAN SHOOK OFF THE SCARS
OF BATTLE ONE LAST TIME AND
AROSE OOA NEW MAN TO PILOT ONE
LAST FLIGHT UP AND UP AND UP
BUSTING CLOUDS LEFT AND RIGHT,
STRAIGHT ON THROUGH TO THE
KINGDOM OF HEAVEN AND HE SLIPPED
THE EARTHLY BONDS, PUT OUT HIS
HAND AND TOUCHED THE FACE OF
GOD.
GOD. I LOVE YOU DAD.