POW in Vietnam

Right in the heart of busy Hanoi lake side Truc Bach there is a small stone statue called the John McCain POW Memorial. A rough translation states"Here on 26 October 1967 at Truc Bach Lake in the capital city of Ha Noi John Sidney McCain was shot out of the sky in his A4 aircraft by local (militia?) citizens defending Yen Phu. There were 10 other planes shot down on the same day."

I am always fascinated by what choices one would have to make to end up in such a circumstance such as a POW in Vietnam. To quench my curiosity and maybe your's too, here is McCains Wikipedia Military career play by play.

McCain graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1958. He became a naval aviator, flying ground-attack aircraft from aircraft carriers. During the Vietnam War, he nearly lost his life in the 1967 USS Forrestal fire. In October 1967, while on a bombing mission over Hanoi, he was shot down, badly injured, and captured by the North Vietnamese. He was a prisoner of war until 1973, experiencing episodes of torture and refusing an out-of-sequence early repatriation offer; his war wounds left him with lifelong physical limitations (if you've seen him on TV, you know what I'm talking about...He can't lift his arms above his shoulder).

Wow. He was in a POW for six years! I can't even imagine or even relate in any respect. And I think only those who have walked in similar shoes should be judging (directed at Micheal Moore). But I want to personally say thank you to all the brave men and women who choose such a job. Risking everything. Such a sacrifice.

Looking at the McCain Memorial was a powerful moment to feel a small sliver of the reality of what happened here in Vietnam. Funny thing is, most Vietnamese polled overwhelmingly welcome McCain as a contender for the next US President. Old wounds have been forgiven (or at least pushed down far enough that functional friendships can exist). What forgiveness. On both sides. A good lesson for us all who keep forgiveness from another. Thank you John McCain.