Sen. John McCain honors Veterans Day in emotional video
Nov 10, 2017, 1:38 PM | Updated: Mar 1, 2018, 3:36 pm
PHOENIX — U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) commemorated Veterans Day in a short but emotional video posted to his YouTube account on Friday.
McCain, who formerly served in the U.S. Navy and spent more than five years as a prisoner of war, praised the sacrifices made by veterans who “deserve to be memorialized.”
“Sacrifices made by veterans deserve to be memorialized in something more lasting than marble or bronze, or in the fleeting effect of a politician’s speeches,” McCain said in the video.
“Your valor and devotion to duty have earned your country’s abiding concern for your welfare,” he added. “It’s a privilege beyond measure to live in a country served so well, with such selfless patriots.”
McCain gave an emotional speech at the U.S. Naval Academy last month, gratefully thanking midshipmen for sacrificing for fellow Americans “who won’t be asked to make sacrifices for you.”
As the chairman of the Senate Committee on Armed Services, McCain has championed for veterans issues, including calling on the Department of Veterans Affairs to address its budget shortfall.
The Arizona senator was diagnosed with an aggressive tumor called a glioblastoma in July and has underwent surgery to remove the 2-inch blood clot in his brain.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
