Home > Vietnam War > John McCain Biography

Born August 29, 1936
Panama Canal Zone, Panama

U.S. senator from Arizona, 1987-present;
U.S. Navy pilot who spent more than five years
as a prisoner of war (POW) in North Vietnam

John S. McCain is one of the best-known American veterans to serve in the Vietnam War. A fighter pilot with the U.S. Navy during the war, he was shot down over North Vietnam in 1967 while on a bombing mission. After ejecting from his plane, he was captured by Communist forces. He spent the next five-and-a-half years as a prisoner of war (POW) before gaining his release in 1973. After returning to the United States, he became a U.S. senator representing the state of Arizona. In 2000 he launched a campaign to win the Republican nomination for the presidency. McCain's war hero status and reputation for honesty made him a strong candidate, but he eventually lost the nomination to Texas Governor George W....