Admiral McCain (R) with Admiral William Halsey (L) on the battleship Missouri on September 2, 1945 shortly after the ceremony in which Japan surrendered, ending World War II.
John Sidney McCain Sr. (August 9, 1884 – September 6, 1945) was a U.S. Navy Admiral. He held several command assignments during the Pacific campaign of World War II. He is the grandfather of US Senator and Presidential candidate John S. McCain III.
Early life and career
McCain was born in Carroll County, Mississippi, the son of plantation owner[1] John Sidney McCain (b. Mississippi, 1851 – d. 1934) and wife (married in 1877) Elizabeth-Ann Young (b. Mississippi, 1855 – d. 1922), and attended the University of Mississippi before going to the United States Naval Academy, graduating in 1906.
Soon after graduation, McCain took part in the Great White Fleet's world cruise from 1907 to 1909. His next assignment was in the Asiatic Squadron, after which he went to the naval base in San Diego, California. During the First World War, he was on convoy duty in the Atlantic Ocean.
In the 1920s and early 1930s, McCain served in USS Maryland, USS New Mexico, and USS Nitro. His first command was USS Sirius. In 1936, he became a naval aviator and from 1937 to 1939 he commanded the aircraft carrier USS Ranger. In January 1941, after promotion to rear admiral, he commanded the Aircraft Scouting Force of the Atlantic Fleet.[2]
World War II and death
After the outbreak of hostilities between the U.S. and Japan in December 1941, McCain was appointed Commander, Aircraft, South Pacific in May 1942. In this position, he commanded all land-based Allied air operations supporting the Guadalcanal campaign in the Solomon Islands and south Pacific area. Aircraft under McCain's command, including the Cactus Air Force, located at Henderson Field on Guadalcanal, were key in supporting the successful effort to defend Guadalcanal from Japanese efforts to retake the island during this time.[3]
In October 1942, he was sent to Washington, D.C. to head the Bureau of Aeronautics. In August 1943, he became Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Air with the rank of vice admiral.[4]
McCain returned to combat in the Pacific in August 1944 with his appointment as commander of a carrier group in Marc Mitscher's Task Force 58 (TF58), part of Raymond Spruance's Fifth Fleet. In this role, McCain participated in the Marianas campaign, including the Battle of the Philippine Sea, and the beginning of the Philippines campaign.[5]
On October 30, 1944 McCain assumed command of TF58, now designated TF38 as part of Adm. William Halsey's Third Fleet. He retained command of the fast carrier task force that he led through the Battle of Okinawa and raids on the Japanese mainland.[6]
While conducting operations off the Philippines, McCain as Chief of Staff of Third Fleet, participated in Halsey's decision to keep the combined naval task force on station rather than avoid a major storm, Typhoon Cobra (later known also as "Halsey's Typhoon") which was approaching the area. The storm sank three destroyers and inflicted heavy damage on many other ships. Some 800 men were lost, in addition to 146 aircraft. A Navy court of inquiry found that while Halsey committed an error of judgement in sailing into the typhoon, it stopped short of unambiguously recommending sanction.[7]
By war's end in August 1945, the stress of combat operations had worn McCain down to a weight of only 100 pounds. He requested home leave to recuperate but Halsey insisted that he be present at the Japanese surrender ceremony in Tokyo Bay, Japan on September 2, 1945. Departing immediately after the ceremony, McCain died of a heart attack at his home in Coronado, California on September 6, 1945. He was posthumously promoted to full admiral.[8]
During his career McCain was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal and two Gold Stars in lieu of subsequent awards.[9] McCain Field, the operations center at Naval Air Station Meridian was named in his honor.
Family and marriage
His grandfather, William Alexander McCain (b. North Carolina, 1812 – d. 1863), died while serving as a private in Company I, 5th Regiment, Mississippi Cavalry, Confederate States Army. During his life, he owned a 2,000-acre (8.1 km2) plantation in Carroll County, Mississippi known alternately as "Teoc" (the Choctaw name for the creek it was located upon) and "Waverly", as well as 52 slaves. He was married in 1840 to Mary Louisa McAllister (b. Alabama, 1812 – d. 1882). William's son, the first John Sidney McCain, known as J.S. McCain (which may explain the apparent discrepancy in Senator John S. McCain being the III, rather than the IV), served as Sheriff and, later, President of the Board of Supervisors of Carroll County.
McCain's older brother, another William Alexander McCain, also attended the University of Mississippi before transferring to the United States Military Academy. William A. McCain would eventually retire with the rank of Brigadier General, and was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal for actions in World War I, as well as the Oak Leaf Cluster during World War II. An uncle, Henry Pickney McCain (b. Mississippi, 1861 – d. 1941), also attended West Point and later retired from the Army as a Major-General. Camp McCain, a WWII training base and current Mississippi National Guard training site, located in Grenada County, Mississippi, is named for him.
He married Catherine Davey Vaulx who was eight years his senior (b. Fayetteville, Arkansas, 9 January 1876 – d. San Diego, California, 29 May 1959) on 9 August 1909 at Colorado Springs, Colorado.
His son, John S. McCain, Jr. was a submarine commander in World War II and later served as CINCPAC, Commander in Chief Pacific Command, during the Vietnam War.
His grandson, John S. McCain, III was a U.S. Navy pilot during the Vietnam war, and was shot down and spent over five years as a P.O.W. in the infamous "Hanoi Hilton" and other North Vietnamese camps. After his release, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives and the United States Senate from Arizona. He ran for President in 2000 (losing the Republican nomination to George W. Bush). John S. McCain, III wrote a book, Faith of My Fathers, concerning his navy family and his own experiences as a Midshipman at Annapolis, a naval aviator and prisoner of war. John S. McCain, III is the presumptive Republican nominee for President in 2008.
John S. McCain III claims a royal connection on his campaign website: "McCain’s family roots in Europe are Scotch-Irish. His great-aunt was a descendant of Robert the Bruce, an early Scottish king. McCain's roots in America date to the American Revolution. John Young, an early McCain ancestor, served on Gen. George Washington's staff."[10] John Young's ancestry has been traced to John Lamont, Baron McGorrie (the "red baron of Inverchaolain and Knockdow"; 1540-1583).[11][12]
Great-grandson John Sidney "Jack" McCain IV is currently enrolled as a Midshipman at Annapolis, and his other great grandson, James Hensley "Jimmy" McCain, enlisted in the Marine Corps in 2006, and began recruit training in September 2006.[13] He finished a tour of duty in Iraq in 2008.[14]
Awards
References
Notes
- ^ John McCain 2008 - John McCain for President at www.johnmccain.com
- ^ Boatner, Biographical Dictionary, p. 351.
- ^ Boatner, Biographical Dictionary, p. 351.
- ^ Boatner, Biographical Dictionary, p. 351.
- ^ Boatner, Biographical Dictionary, p. 351.
- ^ Boatner, Biographical Dictionary, p. 351.
- ^ Drury, Halsey's Typhoon.
- ^ Boatner, Biographical Dictionary, p. 351.
- ^ USS John S. McCain (DDG 56), [1].
- ^ "John McCain 2008:John McCain for President". Retrieved on 2007-07-05.
- ^ "Ancestors of one Young family in America". Retrieved on 2007-07-05.
- ^ Ancestry of John McCain (b. 1936)
- ^ "Sen. McCain’s youngest son joins Marine Corps", Marine Corps Times, Associated Press (July 31, 2006). Retrieved on 2006-08-01.
- ^ "McCain win might stop sons from deploying", Navy Times (March 10, 2008). Retrieved on 2008-03-17.
Books
This article includes text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.
Web
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