John S. McCain, Jr.
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| John S. McCain Jr. | |
|---|---|
| January 17, 1911 – March 22, 1981 (aged 70) | |
 Admiral John S. McCain, Jr. |
|
| Nickname | Smitty |
| Place of birth | Council Bluffs, Iowa |
| Place of death | Arlington, Virginia |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/branch | United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1931-1972 |
| Rank | Admiral |
| Commands held | U.S. Pacific Command USS Gunnel |
| Battles/wars | World War II Vietnam War |
| Awards | Navy Distinguished Service Medal Silver Star Legion of Merit Bronze Star |
| Relations | Adm. John S. McCain, Sr. (father) Sen. John S. McCain III (son) |
Admiral John Sidney McCain Jr. (January 17, 1911 – March 22, 1981) was a four star admiral in the United States Navy who served in World War II through the Vietnam War.
His father John S. McCain, Sr. was also a four-star admiral in the Navy, and his son John S. McCain III is a former naval aviator who retired with the rank of Captain and is currently a United States Senator representing Arizona, and as of April 2008 is the presumptive Republican nominee for the office of President of the United States. His uncle (his father's brother) was U.S. Army Brigadier General William Alexander McCain. Grandson John S. McCain IV is currently attending the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, the fourth-generation John S. McCain to do so.
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[edit] Early years and education
Born in Council Bluffs, Iowa, McCain graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1931. He married Roberta Wright on January 21, 1933.
[edit] World War II
During World War II, "Junior" – who preferred to be called "Jack" – commanded the submarine Gunnel at Operation Torch. Like many U.S. subs in the Atlantic, Gunnel was attacked in error by friendly aircraft. The Hooven-Owens-Rentschler (H.O.R.) diesels (known as "whores") which powered Gunnel were troublesome; at one point en route, drive gears of all four of the main engines were out of commission, and McCain had to rely on his tiny auxiliary for the last 1800 km (1000 mi). Gunnel went into the navy yard for an extensive refit, and was replaced on patrol station off North Africa by Pilly Lent's Haddo.[1]
After the refit, Gunnel was transferred to the Pacific fleet. In June 1943, in the East China and Yellow Seas, McCain sank two ships (confirmed postwar by JANAC): Koyo Maru (6400 tons) and Tokiwa Maru (7000 tons). However, more trouble from the sub's diesels cut the patrol to only eleven days, after which he returned to Pearl Harbor.[2]
Gunnel was the first Pearl Harbor H.O.R. boat to be re-engined, and she returned to action off Iwo Jima in December 1943. Alerted by HYPO of carriers on the night of 2-3 December, McCain shot four torpedoes at IJNS Zuihō at a very long range of 5500 m (6000 yd, 3 mi), only to miss as Zuiho zigged.[3] Even though he missed, McCain was still one of only a handful of U.S. skippers to get such an opportunity.
On his final patrol, on 18 March 1944, off Tawi Tawi, the main Japanese fleet anchorage in the Philippines, McCain got another shot at a carrier, firing from extremely long range (8200 m {9000 yd}). He missed and was counterattacked, with only sixteen depth charges. He tried to attack the same carrier over the next four days, but could get no closer than 10 km (5.5 mi).[4]
During the May 1944 U.S. air strike on Surabaya, Gunnel lay off Tawi Tawi in company with Robert Olsen's Angler, but McCain managed no attacks on Japanese ships. He shifted his operations to the coast of Indochina, where on 8 June 1944, he picked up a convoy, escorted by yet another aircraft carrier. He was unable to approach closer than 28 km (15 mi).
On his return to Pearl Harbor, he was assigned to the submarine Dentuda. He had one patrol with the Dentuda, in the East China Sea and the Taiwan Straits, damaging a large freighter and sinking two patrol craft.[5]
[edit] Post-World War II
After the end of the war, he was assigned to the Office of the Chief of Naval Personnel until 1948. He assumed command of Submarine Division 71 in the Pacific the next year. In 1950, he was assigned to a series of posts at The Pentagon, including Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Chief, Legislative Affairs Office, and the office of the Secretary of the Navy. He spent the 1960s in a series of commands in the Atlantic, including Amphibious Group 2, Amphibious Training, Chief of Naval Information, Amphibious Forces, Atlantic and Eastern Sea Frontier. He became Commander in Chief, U.S. Naval Forces in Europe in 1967 and 1968.
He was involved in the investigations that followed the USS Liberty incident.
During the Vietnam War, Admiral McCain served as Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. Pacific Command from 1968 to 1972. During this time, his son, a Navy pilot John S. McCain III was held in Hanoi as a prisoner of war for nearly five and a half years.
Admiral McCain retired in 1972 in Washington D.C. He died on a military aircraft en route from Europe 22 March 1981. He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery. According to the Arlington National Cemetery site information (WEB link below) he died in Washington D.C.
USS John S. McCain (DDG-56) was named for both Admirals McCain.
[edit] References
[edit] Notes
[edit] Books
- Blair, Jr., Clay (2001). Silent Victory: The U.S. Submarine War Against Japan. Annpolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 155750217X.
- McCain, John S. (1999). The reminiscences of Admiral John S. McCain, Jr., U.S. Navy (retired). Annpolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ASIN B0006RY8ZK.
[edit] Web
- Arlington National Cemetery (1993). John Sidney McCain, Jr.. Retrieved on 2008-03-20.
