In Memoriam: U.S. Sen. John S. McCain (1936-2018)

News | August 28, 2018

The EastWest Institute would like to acknowledge the passing of John S. McCain, noted United States Senator, a Vietnam warcombat veteran and respected political figure.

Senator McCain died on August 25 at the age of 81. 

“We are truly saddened at the passing of Senator John McCain,” commented Ambassador Cameron Munter, CEO and President of the EastWest Institute. “Senator McCain epitomized what patriotism stands for, both in uniform and within the halls of Congress. An individual who cared deeply for his country, he made it clear that national and community interests should always come first, overriding party lines where necessary, to bring both sides of the aisle together for the greater good.” 

The EastWest Institute engaged with Senator McCain over the years, particularly around its Asia-Pacific programmatic work,as well as cooperated with the John McCain Institute for Leadership.  

The EastWest Institute also welcomes a recent initiative by its partner—the Munich Security Conference (MSC)—to award an annual prize in John McCain's name. This award will be presented for the first time at the 2019 Munich Security Conference, recognizing the best doctoral thesis and dissertation on topics that were of specific interest to Senator John McCain. For more information please see the official press release. 

“Senator McCain will always be remembered as a true American hero, who sacrificed so much for his country,” added Dr. William J. Parker, COO of the EastWest Institute. “A career naval officer who volunteered to fly combat missions in Vietnam, and a prisoner of war for over five years, Senator McCain exemplified both the military code of conduct and the definition of public service, while serving his country with honor.”

John Sidney McCain III was born into a noted military family, named after his grandfather John S. “Slew” McCain Sr., and father John S. McCain Jr., both Admirals. Senator McCain retired from the Navy with the rank of captain, and then embarked on a career in politics, ultimately winning two terms in the House of Representatives (1983-87) and six terms in the Senate, representing the state of Arizona. He also campaigned twice for the role of President. In addition, Senator McCain served as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Armed Services.

Image: "John McCain" (CC BY-SA 2.0) by Gage Skidmore