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• In October 1967, the son and namesake of Admiral John McCain II was shot down over Hanoi, Vietnam, while flying his 23rd bombing mission for the U.S. Navy. After being captured by North Vietnamese forces, the younger John McCain spent the next five and a half years in prison camps while his father commanded U.S. forces in the Pacific. McCain's experience as a prisoner of war (P.O.W.), as recounted in his book Faith of My Fathers, has been a touchstone of his political career.

• Fast Facts

  1. Plane shot down October 26, 1967
  2. Released from captivity March 14, 1973
  3. Sustained lifelong injuries from torture
  4. While in prison, weight dropped to 100 lbs
  5. Spend time in Hoa Lo Prison, nicknamed "Hanoi Hilton"
  6. Faith of my Fathers co-written with McCain staffer Mark Salter; published in 1999

• Signed Confession

  Beaten and interrogated, McCain signed the following "confession" at his captors' behest:

  • "I am a black criminal and I have performed the deeds of an air pirate. I almost died and the Vietnamese people saved my life..."

  PolitiFact.com: No evidence McCain was a traitor

• Refused Early Release

  According Faith of my Fathers, McCain refused an opportunity to be released early from captivity, because "I did not want to go out of order."Politico: Some on left target McCain's war record (June 30, 2008) The phrase refers to the fact that a lower-profile prisoners than the admiral's son—who had been imprisoned longer—were not afforded the same opportunity. SFGate.com: McCain Says 5 1/2 Years As POW No Hero's Tale (August 16, 1999)

• Related Pages on Mahalo

  Hanoi Hilton | John McCain | John McCain POW Video

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