John S. McCain, Jr. facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jack McCain
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Admiral John Sidney McCain, Jr.
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| Nickname(s) | Jack |
| Born | January 17, 1911 Council Bluffs, Iowa, U.S. |
| Died | March 22, 1981 (aged 70) In air over North Atlantic |
| Buried | |
| Allegiance |  United States of America |
| Service/ |
 United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1931-1972 |
| Rank |  Admiral |
| Unit | retirement in 1972 |
| Commands held | USS Gunnel (SS-253) USS Dentuda (SS-335) Amphibious Forces, Atlantic Fleet Eastern Sea Frontier Atlantic Reserve Fleet U.S. Naval Forces Europe U.S. Pacific Command |
| Battles/wars | World War II Korean War Vietnam War |
| Awards | Navy Distinguished Service Medal (2) Silver Star Legion of Merit (3) Bronze Star |
| Relations | Adm. John S. McCain, Sr. (father) Sen. John S. McCain III (son) |
John Sidney "Jack" McCain Jr. (January 17, 1911 – March 22, 1981) was a United States Navy admiral, who served in conflicts from the 1940s through the 1970s, including as the Commander, United States Pacific Command.
McCain grew up in Washington, D.C., and graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1931, after which he entered the submarine service. In World War II, he commanded submarines in several theaters of operation, was responsible for sinking several Japanese ships, and was decorated with both the Silver Star and Bronze Star. After the war, he held a variety of commands, specializing in amphibious warfare. He led the 1965 U.S. invasion of the Dominican Republic. He also served in several posts in Washington, including the Legislative Affairs Office and Chief of Naval Information, where he became influential in political affairs. He was a staunch anti-Communist, and was such an advocate of a strong naval presence that he became known as "Mr. Seapower".
During the Vietnam War, McCain was Commander-in-Chief, Pacific Command (CINCPAC), commander of all U.S. forces in the Vietnam theater from 1968 to 1972. He was a stalwart supporter of President Richard Nixon's policy of Vietnamization. McCain played a significant role in the militarization of U.S. policy towards Cambodia, helping to convince Nixon to launch the 1970 Cambodian Incursion and establishing a personal relationship with Cambodian leader Lon Nol. McCain was also a proponent of the 1971 incursion into Laos. McCain retired from the Navy in 1972.
His father, John S. McCain Sr., was also an admiral in the Navy and a naval aviator, and the two were the first father-son pair to achieve four-star rank. His son, John S. McCain III, is a former naval aviator who was a prisoner of war in North Vietnam during McCain's time as CINCPAC, who retired with the rank of captain and then became a United States Senator and the 2008 Republican Party nominee for President of the United States.
Grandson John S. "Jack" McCain IV attended and graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 2009, the fourth-generation John S. McCain to do so, and also became a Naval Aviator like his father and great-grandfather.
Retirement and death
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Admiral McCain retired on November 1, 1972. In early 1973, with the conclusion of the Paris Peace Accords, his son was released from confinement as a prisoner of war in North Vietnam and repatriated to the United States.
McCain visited the White House in 1975 and discussed naval preparedness issues with President Gerald Ford. During the late 1970s, McCain sometimes acted as an advisor on military matters to Ronald Reagan, who was preparing for his third presidential candidacy.
McCain also participated in a January 1978 traveling "Panama Canal Truth Squad", led by Senator Paul Laxalt, that sought Senate rejection of the Panama Canal Treaty; McCain felt that the eventual ceding of the canal to Panamanian control would endanger U.S. security and provide an opening to the Soviets in the region.
McCain died of a heart attack on a military aircraft en route from Europe on March 22, 1981, with his wife at his side. He was buried at Arlington National Cemetery on March 27, 1981.
Images for kids
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"Jack" McCain alongside his father, Admiral John S. "Slew" McCain Sr., on board a U.S. Navy ship in Tokyo Bay, September 2, 1945.
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Vice Admiral McCain, c. 1964 when he was Commander Amphibious Forces, U.S. Atlantic Fleet
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Senior U.S. Navy commanders pose around an illuminated globe in 1968: Admirals John J. Hyland, McCain, Chief of Naval Operations Thomas H. Moorer, and Ephraim P. Holmes.
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McCain following promotion to Full Admiral
See also
In Spanish: John S. McCain, Jr. para niños
