Our nation recently celebrated the life and mourned the loss of Sen. John McCain. I met him only once, and enjoyed a conversation about someone we both knew at quite different stages of our lives.
We shared our memories of a young man who hailed from the next farm community to my home in Tennessee, Nels Tanner. After beginning his mandatory call to serve in the armed forces, he married his beautiful high school sweetheart, who was our close neighbor. Tanner became a Navy pilot, flying off aircraft cruisers. Soon, he was sent to the Pacific. This was at the very beginning of the conflict in Vietnam. A sortie over Vietnam resulted in his being shot down in enemy territory.
He was sent to the Hanoi Hilton, one year before McCain's arrival at the prison.
His once handsome, now haggard, face appeared on the front pages of the world's newspapers. He had signed a confession condemning the U.S. action in Vietnam. Asked to name others who were involved in such actions, he mentioned Lt. Clark Kent and Lt. Ben Casey. There was little doubt by readers in the U.S. that these TV characters indicated a forced confession.
Senator McCain laughed about this, and related his own naming of the roster of the Green Bay Packers when asked the same question. When Tanner's inside joke was discovered, his tormentors pulled both shoulders from their sockets so he could not use his arms. I did not ask what McCain's punishment might have been.
"Room service" at the Hanoi Hilton was provided for Tanner for 6½ years and for McCain for 5½ years. Meanwhile, in the country they were serving, there were demonstrations and protests against what was still officially called a conflict, in truth a war--despite Congress' refusal to declare it as such.
A friend who is a decorated Vietnam veteran told me that, at the end of his service as a paratrooper, he had recovered from his wounds in a military hospital. Having lost over 50 pounds, he donned his loose-fitting uniform with all his medals, and finally limped aboard a plane for home. A well-dressed woman boarded and refused to sit by him, demanding to be moved to another seat.
This was his welcome home.
Whether you agree with wars in which our armed forces are currently serving, you must admit that honor and respect for those who serve our country has been restored. Instead of being shunned, men and women in uniform are often applauded when they board an airplane. We thank them for their service, not condemn them for decisions made by our government.
McCain became known for his service to this country--as a pilot, a prisoner of war, a public servant, and an independent, sometimes rebellious, voice for his belief in the foundations of this country's liberty.
Tanner returned home to a distinguished career in the Navy, retiring as chief of staff of Foreign Pilot Training, raised a family, and lived a full life until he died in 2015 at the age of 82.
Blue skies and smooth landings to both these flying heroes, who now soar in our memory. Please express your gratitude to those who serve us and to the families who await their safe return.
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Carol P. Williams is executive director of Land Trust of Arkansas.
Editorial on 09/07/2018