John McCain is an American hero.
There is no debate.
His final resting place will be at the Naval Academy. It’s a fitting honor for the honorable man who died Saturday at 81.
McCain’s service to the nation is a model of patriotism. His more than five years as a prisoner of war deserves our respect.
We can show our appreciation by adding a statue of McCain alongside Vice Adm. James Bond Stockdale and Vice Adm. William Porter Lawrence on Cooper Road at the Naval Academy.
The 1958 academy graduate exemplifies the leadership and honor midshipmen should aspire to emulate. This should be a slam dunk.
In a perfect world, the academy would unveil McCain’s statue this weekend when he is buried in the Naval Academy Cemetery. In a world ruled by common sense and dignity, John Sidney McCain III would be honored for his lifelong service to his country with a simple — yet permanent — gesture .
In an age where partisanship rules, it’s revealing Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer is seeking to rename the Russell Senate Office in McCain’s honor. Former Vice President Joe Biden will be a pall bearer at McCain’s funeral.
So, where’s the statue?
It was Aug. 27, 2017, in this space, a statue for McCain was suggested to join bronze statues of Stockdale and Lawrence on Cooper Road. It’s a disturbing reality McCain is seen by some as a symbol of D.C. malfunction.
We live in an era of gerrymandering. Compromise and bipartisanship are considered traitorous traits by many. Purity tests trigger intra-party scraps.
Objective observers reviewing McCain’s confinement at the Hanoi Hilton will conclude he demonstrated the fortitude, integrity and honor we expect leaders groomed at the Naval Academy to possess.
He belongs alongside Stockdale and Lawrence. It will happen. It’s just a matter of time.
The only factor is how history judges the process. McCain was a hero the day he arrived home from Vietnam in 1973. He is deserving and any foot-dragging will be noted.
We can debate McCain’s stance on a variety of topics during his 35 years representing Arizona in the House and Senate. It is undeniable he voted and acted in what he felt was the best interests of his constituents and country.
Was he perfect? No. But it is leaders like McCain who help make this a more perfect union.
Naval Academy, don’t wait for our esteemed “leaders” in Congress to make McCain’s statue a reality.
Designate a space. Commission an artist. Erect that statue.
Do it now.
The Capital Gazette is a publication of the Baltimore Sun.
