Statement From Captain Mark Kelly on the Death of Arizona Senator John McCain

August 25, 2018

Tucson, AZ — Captain Mark Kelly, retired U.S. Navy Combat Veteran and former NASA Astronaut, released the following statement following the death of U.S. Senator John McCain.

Statement from Captain Mark Kelly:

“John McCain was an iconic figure, so singular and memorable I imagined he might live forever. In my community of men and women known as Naval Aviators, he was larger than life. I knew who John McCain was since I first even allowed myself to imagine being a pilot. Everyone knows launching and landing a jet aircraft from a ship in the middle of the ocean is famously difficult. It takes the word excitement to the next level. But the excitement is only part of it: service – and the willingness to sacrifice – for country is the motivation of every man and woman who does it. John McCain defined service, as a naval aviator and in every role he took on for his country. “As young pilots in SERE (Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape School) we learned what John McCain endured. To many of us, the potential for capture and torture seemed worse than death itself. We prayed it would never happen, but if it did, we prayed for strength like John McCain’s. John spent over five long years in a prison in Hanoi, but neither fate, nor the presence of great evil, could break him. “Because of his injuries, John’s first career as a pilot was over. But he wasn’t a quitter, and he never gave up – that wasn’t in his DNA. Over a long career, John McCain simply did what he was called to do: make this country a better place. As a member of the House and later as a Senator, John McCain served in a unique and authentic style. He was his own man. He didn’t model himself after anyone who came before him. As he endured in the Hanoi Hilton, he endured in Congress – he didn’t comply or conform. As Congress and our politics became more partisan, John worked across the aisle and put our country ahead of party. He became a leader on issues such as immigration, campaign finance reform, and national security. “I have only encountered a few true heroes in my life, but John McCain was one of them. That he became a friend is one of the greatest privileges of my life. John will be missed by Arizona. He will be missed by this nation. And whether or not you agreed with his votes, we can all agree that Senator John McCain gave his all for the country that he loved. Thank you Senator McCain. Thank you for your service. Thank you for your sacrifice. But most of all, thank you for never giving up and for a lifetime of hard work for the people of Arizona and the people of this great nation.”