McCainâ??s Former Hanoi Cell Mate Describes Character in Deplorable Conditions

[Psycho4Bud]

John McCain rarely speaks about his experiences as a POW in Vietnam, but one of his cell mates at the Hanoi Hilton on Thursday described some of the conditions and character traits that earned McCain the commendations he received for his war service.

Col. George â??Budâ?� Day, 83, is the most decorated service man since Gen. Douglas MacArthur, with more than 70 medals. A living legend, Day was blown out of the sky two months to the day before the North Vietnamese shot down a propaganda prize, whose father and grandfather were renowned American admirals.

â??They told me we were gonna get a roommate and it was gonna be the prince. The Vietnamese called him the prince so I asked my nurse what was his name? They said John McCain,â?� Day told FOX News.

Both he and McCain were taken captive in 1967, and held until their release in 1973.

Day said the first time he saw McCain, he believed the future senator was close to death and that the only reason for the chance encounter was part of a Vietnamese ploy to break the morale of U.S. servicemen already in captivity.

â??I took one look at him, and my brain instantly said, â??They dropped this guy off on me to claim that we let him die,â??â?� Day said. â??He was just emaciated. Very, very skinny, in this full body cast. Just filthy.â?�

The U.S. soldiers were held sometimes five to a cell, barely big enough for two.

â??He had this gimpy knee where heâ??d busted his knee, this arm had been fractured in a couple places, heâ??d been bayoneted in the leg, this arm was out at the shoulder and, in fact, during that time it was out at the shoulder so long it wore a hole in this bone,â?� Day said.

During captivity, they were tortured mercilessly, Day said, describing one tactic that McCain has also recalled.

â??They roped me under the arms, tied my hands behind my back, ran another rope to that, got me up on a chair, threw that rope up over a rafter and jerked the chair out from under me and your own weight just tears your body apart,â?� he said.

Dayâ??s broken arm was re-broken during torture so he would never fly again. McCain played physical therapist.

â??John said, â??Well weâ??ll gather up some bamboo, and he was in a bandage on his leg at that time. So I got some strips of bamboo, smuggled them into the room, John put his foot in my arm pit and pulled on my wrist â??till we could get the bone forced back down â?¦ it wasnâ??t exactly perfect but it worked out he got it back to where it was functional,â?� Day said.

But nerve damage was extensive â?? his crushed hands were useless. Meanwhile, McCain was treated no better than the trash they were fed in the form of a soup.

â??I mean you could smell him for 25 feet. Bunch of food and nasty stuff in his hair, and down his neck and inside his cast. The cast was not lined so every time he would move inside this cast, it was just eating a hole in his arm or his elbow or someplace, and he was just in â?? he was in pain,â?� Day recalled.

Yet McCain, now 71, made efforts to help Day recover from his own injuries, Day said.

Day said he had limited use of his arms, which was a result of a combination of torture and the initial plane crash that put him in the hands of his captors â?? an ordeal that earned Day the Congressional Medal of Honor.

â??And when I finally did regain use of that, it was after months and months of dragging this hand and finger on the wall of the prison cell,â?� Day said, walking his fingers up the air like he did many years ago.

â??John would help me. â?¦ John would pull my fingers out straight. They would just instantly recurl. And finally, one morning, I had just the slightest bit of movement in this hand â?? finger â?? and we both cried,â?� Day said.

McCain, whose military record was released to the Associated Press on Wednesday, received 17 commendations over his career from 1951-81. They included the Silver Star for his conduct in captivity. He also received the Legion of Merit, the Distinguished Flying Cross and a Bronze Star.

Day said by any humane standard, McCain would have been a good candidate for early release from the camp, but that wasnâ??t in his playbook.

â??It also wasnâ??t in his playbook to die. In fact he quickly became a leader.â?�

Day said he asked McCain if he would be one of his preachers.

â??He said sure. He had a great handle on the Episcopalian liturgy, he could just repeat it verbatim,â?� he said.

But repeating what he went through during his incarceration is something McCain almost never does as a presidential candidate. Day said he thinks he should.

â??Iâ??ve never seen any shortcomings or any shortfall out of him talking about that, but he just doesnâ??t trade on that. I think he feels that itâ??s wrong to trade on being a hero, but he is,â?� Day said.
McCain’s Former Hanoi Cell Mate Describes Character in Deplorable Conditions - America’s Election HQ

Part of being president is being able to handle high pressure situations.....I think this dude has proven that way beyond his opponents.

Have a good one!:s4:

Psycho4Bud Reviewed by Psycho4Bud on 05-09-2008. McCainâ??s Former Hanoi Cell Mate Describes Character in Deplorable Conditions John McCain rarely speaks about his experiences as a POW in Vietnam, but one of his cell mates at the Hanoi Hilton on Thursday described some of the conditions and character traits that earned McCain the commendations he received for his war service. Col. George â??Budâ?� Day, 83, is the most decorated service man since Gen. Douglas MacArthur, with more than 70 medals. A living legend, Day was blown out of the sky two months to the day before the North Vietnamese shot down a propaganda Rating: 5

[fishman3811]

Good article P4B they should actually make a movie of his captivity.Id go see it.....

[Markass]

John McCain rarely speaks about his experiences as a POW in Vietnam, but one of his cell mates at the Hanoi Hilton on Thursday described some of the conditions and character traits that earned McCain the commendations he received for his war service.

Col. George â??Budâ?� Day, 83, is the most decorated service man since Gen. Douglas MacArthur, with more than 70 medals. A living legend, Day was blown out of the sky two months to the day before the North Vietnamese shot down a propaganda prize, whose father and grandfather were renowned American admirals.

â??They told me we were gonna get a roommate and it was gonna be the prince. The Vietnamese called him the prince so I asked my nurse what was his name? They said John McCain,â?� Day told FOX News.

Both he and McCain were taken captive in 1967, and held until their release in 1973.

Day said the first time he saw McCain, he believed the future senator was close to death and that the only reason for the chance encounter was part of a Vietnamese ploy to break the morale of U.S. servicemen already in captivity.

â??I took one look at him, and my brain instantly said, â??They dropped this guy off on me to claim that we let him die,â??â?� Day said. â??He was just emaciated. Very, very skinny, in this full body cast. Just filthy.â?�

The U.S. soldiers were held sometimes five to a cell, barely big enough for two.

â??He had this gimpy knee where heâ??d busted his knee, this arm had been fractured in a couple places, heâ??d been bayoneted in the leg, this arm was out at the shoulder and, in fact, during that time it was out at the shoulder so long it wore a hole in this bone,â?� Day said.

During captivity, they were tortured mercilessly, Day said, describing one tactic that McCain has also recalled.

â??They roped me under the arms, tied my hands behind my back, ran another rope to that, got me up on a chair, threw that rope up over a rafter and jerked the chair out from under me and your own weight just tears your body apart,â?� he said.

Dayâ??s broken arm was re-broken during torture so he would never fly again. McCain played physical therapist.

â??John said, â??Well weâ??ll gather up some bamboo, and he was in a bandage on his leg at that time. So I got some strips of bamboo, smuggled them into the room, John put his foot in my arm pit and pulled on my wrist â??till we could get the bone forced back down â?¦ it wasnâ??t exactly perfect but it worked out he got it back to where it was functional,â?� Day said.

But nerve damage was extensive â?? his crushed hands were useless. Meanwhile, McCain was treated no better than the trash they were fed in the form of a soup.

â??I mean you could smell him for 25 feet. Bunch of food and nasty stuff in his hair, and down his neck and inside his cast. The cast was not lined so every time he would move inside this cast, it was just eating a hole in his arm or his elbow or someplace, and he was just in â?? he was in pain,â?� Day recalled.

Yet McCain, now 71, made efforts to help Day recover from his own injuries, Day said.

Day said he had limited use of his arms, which was a result of a combination of torture and the initial plane crash that put him in the hands of his captors â?? an ordeal that earned Day the Congressional Medal of Honor.

â??And when I finally did regain use of that, it was after months and months of dragging this hand and finger on the wall of the prison cell,â?� Day said, walking his fingers up the air like he did many years ago.

â??John would help me. â?¦ John would pull my fingers out straight. They would just instantly recurl. And finally, one morning, I had just the slightest bit of movement in this hand â?? finger â?? and we both cried,â?� Day said.

McCain, whose military record was released to the Associated Press on Wednesday, received 17 commendations over his career from 1951-81. They included the Silver Star for his conduct in captivity. He also received the Legion of Merit, the Distinguished Flying Cross and a Bronze Star.

Day said by any humane standard, McCain would have been a good candidate for early release from the camp, but that wasnâ??t in his playbook.

â??It also wasnâ??t in his playbook to die. In fact he quickly became a leader.â?�

Day said he asked McCain if he would be one of his preachers.

â??He said sure. He had a great handle on the Episcopalian liturgy, he could just repeat it verbatim,â?� he said.

But repeating what he went through during his incarceration is something McCain almost never does as a presidential candidate. Day said he thinks he should.

â??Iâ??ve never seen any shortcomings or any shortfall out of him talking about that, but he just doesnâ??t trade on that. I think he feels that itâ??s wrong to trade on being a hero, but he is,â?� Day said.
McCainâ??s Former Hanoi Cell Mate Describes Character in Deplorable Conditions - Americaâ??s Election HQ

Part of being president is being able to handle high pressure situations.....I think this dude has proven that way beyond his opponents.

Have a good one!:s4:

All the more reason to vote for him...NOT.

Mccain's a fucking nutcase...He would be one of the last people I'd vote for president.

[YOUTUBE]http://youtube.com/watch?v=rAlH1oZ0NfU[/YOUTUBE]

[YOUTUBE]http://youtube.com/watch?v=qTcC6Ypky-Y[/YOUTUBE]

[Mr. Clandestine]

All the more reason to vote for him...NOT.

Mccain's a fucking nutcase...He would be one of the last people I'd vote for president.

So... let me get this straight, the only reason you can think of NOT to vote for McCain is his opposition to medical marijuana? This is what makes him a "fucking nutcase" in your eyes? Disregard the fact that the man is a humble war hero, he at least stands firm on issues important to him, he's one of the few candidates that actually believes America is still the greatest country on earth, etc., etc., etc. But nobody should vote for him because he's not down with pot? :wtf:

That's some pretty convoluted reasoning you got going on there. He may not be ideal, but he's certainly better than the other two certified nutcases who're running for office. But whatever. Obama could pull a miracle out of his ass and become a great President... NOT.

[Markass]

So... let me get this straight, the only reason you can think of NOT to vote for McCain is his opposition to medical marijuana? This is what makes him a "fucking nutcase" in your eyes? Disregard the fact that the man is a humble war hero, he at least stands firm on issues important to him, he's one of the few candidates that actually believes America is still the greatest country on earth, etc., etc., etc. But nobody should vote for him because he's not down with pot? :wtf:

That's some pretty convoluted reasoning you got going on there. He may not be ideal, but he's certainly better than the other two certified nutcases who're running for office. But whatever. Obama could pull a miracle out of his ass and become a great President... NOT.

That's not the only thing....Bomb bomb bomb Iran...

He offers no solution to the continued devaluing of our dollar, he doesn't seem to care about the billions our government is wasting...and he's worried about is staying in Iraq for 50-100 years 'if necessary' That likely means myself being drafted and/or my children being drafted if I didn't die overseas for nothing.

And yes, he's a nutcase because of his opposition to medical marijuana, he obviously A. Receives massive contributions from pharmaceutical companies or B. Actually believes that marijuana doesn't help people. I want a president who's willing to respect the constitution...And that's certainly not going to be john mccain...

Someone like Ron Paul seems to have just the right amount of respect for the constitution.

And maybe if you woke up every day in pain, and didn't get much sleep because of you having to quit smoking pot for a year or go to jail for a year you may feel the same way about medical marijuana that I do.

Perhaps you live in a medical state, or you don't even need it for medical purposes...I however, went to jail over a gram of pot. I think it's just as important to have a commander in chief who knows marijuana helps people is just as important as bringing our soldiers home from overseas who are defending Iraq's borders rather than ours.

[Mr. Clandestine]

That's not the only thing....Bomb bomb bomb Iran...

I'd rather have a President who understands the threat posed by Iran, and who'd be willing to take action if necessary to protect our security and our nation's interests abroad, as opposed to some joker who'd just rather sit down and hold hands with Ahmadinejad while singing Kumbaya together in unison.

He offers no solution to the continued devaluing of our dollar, he doesn't seem to care about the billions our government is wasting...

McCain has an extensive economic revitalization plan that includes helping Americans deal with the rising cost of living, the housing crisis, lowering taxes for the middle class Americans, while at the same time strengthening our tax system, ending wasteful spending, and much more. If you don't believe me, you can take a closer look at his plans by visiting his website:

John McCain 2008

and he's worried about is staying in Iraq for 50-100 years 'if necessary' That likely means myself being drafted and/or my children being drafted if I didn't die overseas for nothing.

You know as well as I do that this statement was ripped entirely out of context and was tailor suited to fit the slander machine of the Democrats. He's not, however, looking to cut and run from Iraq with our collective tails between our legs, leaving billions of dollars in the shitter, and leaving millions of Iraqis to fend for themselves against an opposition that they clearly couldn't handle on their own. At least, not at this moment.

And maybe if you woke up every day in pain, and didn't get much sleep because of you having to quit smoking pot for a year or go to jail for a year you may feel the same way about medical marijuana that I do.

Please don't assume you know anything about me, my past, or my stance on medical marijuana. I'm a bigger advocate elsewhere, beyond the walls of Cannabis.com, and I'm a pretty damn big advocate here. I don't wake up in chronic pain everyday, but I have some specific reasons for needing to keep it around. My reasons center around the psychological, as opposed to the physical, benefits of the drug. Regardless, I understand the benefits of the drug on many different levels, and so does a large part of the American people.

Perhaps you live in a medical state, or you don't even need it for medical purposes...I however, went to jail over a gram of pot. I think it's just as important to have a commander in chief who knows marijuana helps people is just as important as bringing our soldiers home from overseas who are defending Iraq's borders rather than ours.

Sadly, until more states show their willingness to adopt medical uses for the drug, I honestly feel that we'll see nothing in terms of advocacy on the Federal level. Ron Paul has some grandiose ideas, almost to the point of being considered fanatical - and I'm not just talking about hemp advocacy - but he doesn't stand an ice cube's chance in hell of being elected. The way things are looking right now, you'll have one of two choices: 1- Electing a war hero who actually understands war, understands foreign policy, and understands domestic issues, or 2- A pacifist with NO experience in any related matters, and a marked disdain for his own country.

Not really a tough decision, if you ask me.

[NWOceanLover]

I respect his service and what he's been through. I actually always thought he was pretty decent for a republican before he ran for president because he tended to be one of the few elected officials on the right who often tried to unify both parties on legislation.

Once he started campaigning seriously for the presidential nomination it really became obvious that he was pandering to a large degree to get wider Republican support. While I do appreciate that under our somewhat screwed up electoral system this is often seen as necessary by those running for office I couldnt help but lump him back among the general chaff of the republican party and really don't have any interest in seeing him hold any electoral office going forward.

[ldg420]

Once he started campaigning seriously for the presidential nomination it really became obvious that he was pandering to a large degree to get wider Republican support.

He is a Republican! Why wouldn't he make an effort to appeal to Republicans? If a "maverick" democratic senator tried to appeal to the Democratic base wouldn't that be the same thing as "Pandering to a large degree to get wider Democratic support"??????????:stoned:

really don't have any interest in seeing him hold any electoral office going forward.

Why????? I do realize that there is no PERFECT presidential candidate, I can only offer you a few simple questions. of the 2 (Maybe 3) people who have a honest chance at the white house would you rather see a president in office who is willing to finish the job in Iraq or simply leave and wait for the region to become a terrorist hot bed only to return at a later date? Would you like to see taxes go down or up? And lastly would you rater have someone in office who has honest and proven leadership experience or someone who has absolutely NO experience with diplomacy and real leadership. The fact of the matter is Obama is riding a wave of pointless "yes we can" and "change we can believe in" with no real ideas or plans to follow through, and Hillary's only tough times were when she was under sniper fire. and for those of you Ron Paul people who think Writing him in as a candidate will work, GET REAL all your doing in the end is wasting your vote............:stoned:

[kassidy]

I myself like Dr. Ron Paul and his support for MMJ...BUT....my concern is the security of this country as Al Qaeda has regrouped and is ready to hit the U.S. as a target again. They are not hardly through with the destruction in America yet. We will prolly soon see a new attempt to strike us or American interests somewhere.

So what is more important? Legalization of MMJ???? OR SECURITY FOR OUR COUNTRY?

Mc Cain is the best of the "three evils" currently running....but his wife is surely not a good First Lady candidate after stealing those pain meds from the suffering in third world countries that she was part of the distributing. Rich people should buy their own drugs and not steal from the poor and suffering.....You can google what she did. Strange that nobody is talking about it though..

[Markass]

I myself like Dr. Ron Paul and his support for MMJ...BUT....my concern is the security of this country as Al Qaeda has regrouped and is ready to hit the U.S. as a target again. They are not hardly through with the destruction in America yet. We will prolly soon see a new attempt to strike us or American interests somewhere.

So what is more important? Legalization of MMJ???? OR SECURITY FOR OUR COUNTRY?

Mc Cain is the best of the "three evils" currently running....but his wife is surely not a good First Lady candidate after stealing those pain meds from the suffering in third world countries that she was part of the distributing. Rich people should buy their own drugs and not steal from the poor and suffering.....You can google what she did. Strange that nobody is talking about it though..

What are they going to do? Hijack another plane?? I think airport security is a bit more advanced now..

And for some reason I think our country would be safer if our troops and percentage of our NATIONAL guard were stateside rather than 4,000 miles abroad.

Just because things have changed is no reason...

"America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms it will be because we destroyed ourselves."

It's just a shame that people don't realize...We'd be pissed too if a military was invading our sacred America...And I damn sure think that most people would be fighting for their country...That's exactly what these people are doing, and have been doing since we've had troops in the middle east over the years..