An American hero

Senator John McCain was taken from us this past week end by glioblastoma. His death was not a surprise since he was diagnosed with glioblastoma a virulent and incurable brain cancer. Most patients survive for up to 14 months. While the patient can receive treatments to help them survive, the survivors suffer strain of watching their loved one deteriorate towards the inevitable end. What made Sen. McCain's case of glioblastoma different was the question of whether his five-and-a-half years in a prisoner of war camp in North Vietnam contributed to his getting the disease

My family understands what the McCain family has contended with that strain. Our son Justin died in 1997 after a nine-month fight with glioblastoma. Watching a family member die a slow death is a painful occurrence that will test your beliefs. The senator's family must now deal with the inevitable questions of why and how did he get the disease.

Regardless of the cause of his disease, the U.S. has lost a remarkable man. Often called a maverick, John McCain was an independent thinker who studied issues rather than blindly following the party line. He was successful as a legislator because he was always welcome to talk and work with political adversaries. He went to the Senate with his principles firmly in place. His grandfather and his father were both admirals in the Navy, and John McCain attended and graduated from the U.S Naval Academy. Ingrained in John McCain were the concepts of duty and honor. His values and his political life were as straight as his personal life. Even those who disagreed with him on certain political issues still were moved by his sincerity.

Just as the Navy and his family helped to shape John McCain, the torture he received in North Vietnam only reinforced his values.

Senator John McCain was an example of the best of us. He was a true American hero.

Jack Dragoni attended Boston College and served in the U.S. Army in Berlin and Vietnam. He lives in Chaffee, Missouri.