John McCain has died – a former bomber pilot and war hero, a six term Republican Senator and a maverick politician who garnered respect even from those who didn’t agree with his views.
He was born 29 August 1936 6.25pm Colon, Panama to a father and grandfather who were both 4 star admirals in the US Navy and had the usual constantly-moving forces childhood. He became a naval bomber pilot and two years after his first marriage he was injured during an onboard ship attack and then shot down and captured by the Vietcong, who held him prisoner for five years and tortured him. During his time in captivity which he nearly didn’t survive, he spent two years in solitary and when offered repatriation because his father was an admiral, he refused unless all men taken prisoner before him were also released. After his return he stayed in the navy for another decade though his physical injuries from his time in captivity meant he’d never make admiral. He divorced, remarried and embarked on his political career, making two failed attempts to become president.
He had a 7th house Virgo Sun, Neptune, Venus and Mercury in Libra – so would have a winning way of putting himself across. He had a lucky, respect-attracting and talented 10th house Jupiter which was square his Sun, Neptune, Venus and Saturn as well as being trine Mars in Leo. A strong Jupiter would help him survive his brutal experience since it keeps optimism high though he did contemplate suicide at one point. His Saturn opposition Neptune would make him keen on working towards a better society and he did come across as a compassionate conservative. His Mars in Leo in his 6th would make him argumentative and flamboyant in his comments, especially since it made an explosive square to an outspoken Uranus in his communication 3rd. His Pluto in the 5th would give him a yearning to be taken as a person of substance and opposing a maverick Aquarius Moon would make him intensely emotional.
He wasn’t a saint and made missteps along the way, of which Sarah Palin was the most notable in recent times, but he died with a reputation as a Washington titan. His get-it-together 5th harmonic was strong; as well as his spiritual, seeking-soul 7H; his determined 11H. And his leaving-a-legacy-for-history was most powerfully aspected.
His Mars in Leo was conjunct Trump’s 12th house Pluto for bitter hostility; with his fair-minded Saturn opposition Neptune sitting at cross purposes with Trump’s Sun and Moon. Their relationship chart was formidably stressed with a power-struggling composite Sun Pluto; and a stressed and aggravated composite Mars Mercury Venus square Saturn Uranus.
USA politics will be poorer without him.
Thanks for posting this article, Mel. True, we do tend to deify political leaders at their passing. In reality, they’re flawed human beings who made good and bad choices…..just like the rest of us mortals.
Just for some balance.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/john-mccain-apos-victims-part-160239304.html
John McCain’s epitaph will read, simply, “He served his country.” How classically Virgo! Service was his life. Also respect him for his wonderful record re animal welfare. He wrote and championed many bills thereof.
Something that set Mccain apart from vast majority of politicians on both sides in The US (and elsewhere) is that he actually cared about human rights. I guess it was because he didn’t have to imagine how it feels to be tortured.
Even in his last months, he intervened in favor of a WSJ journalist who got a prison sentance in Turkey for reporting Kurdish fighters training to take ISIS. In Erdogan’s view, this is fascilitating terrorism, since PKK is considered a terrorist organization in Turkey. The journalist is not an US citizen, and the whole story got very limited coverage anywhere. But I know, because said journalist’s brother is friends with my husband (she is also safe, but kind of lost her livelyhoid reporting on Turkey not being able to return to the country).
He apparently stated that he doesn’t want Trump at his funeral. How embarrassing for a President!
John McCain fought for our freedom even from his death bed, having Obama and Bush read the eulogy at his funeral is strong statement of the need to be united, especially since these 2 men blocked his path to the White House, even when he lost the battle he did it with honor.
Mccain, George W Bush and Trump all have one thing in common. They had parents who smoothed their paths into their chosen careers.
Different people do different things with their priviledge. Trump drodged draft, W who is a son a WWII vet took a National Guard posting. Mccain was shot down over Hanoi. He refused to be released by The Vietnamese when they learned about his background and remained a prisoner for 5 yeara. He was tortured, couldn’t stenograph or comb his own hair for the rest of his life.
I don’t know if people who are not combat veterans, or who do not have combat veterans in their families, realize how extraordinary this is. Officers can be, and often are, bricks. My two grandfathers had horrible experiences on this in WWII, within one of the “better” military forces. And if you pop by a “vet bar” in The US, you’ll hear the same
A very brave man.
I remember his gracious defeat at the end of 2008’s Presidential Election, and how he did not tolerate the booing of Obama’s name. It speaks volumes that he asked Obama to read the
eulogy at his funeral, and not the coward currently posing as the POTUS.
The GOP has lost a true hero who was highly respected, regardless of political viewpoints.