John McCain is received by President Richard Nixon upon returning home in May 1973 after spending more than five years as a prisoner of war in Vietnam. In October 1967, during the Vietnam War, John McCain was shot down over Hanoi while flying a bombing mission launched from the aircraft carrier USS Oriskany (CV-34). After ejecting from his aircraft, he sustained serious injuries, including broken arms and a severely damaged knee. He was captured by North Vietnamese forces and later offered early release due to his father’s position as a senior U.S. Navy admiral. McCain refused the offer in accordance with the U.S. military’s Code of Conduct, which discouraged accepting preferential treatment while other prisoners remained in captivity. McCain ultimately spent more than five years as a prisoner of war, enduring harsh conditions and torture before being released in 1973 following the Paris Peace Accords. His experience became a defining part of his life and was widely cited as an example of resilience and dedication to military service. His story remains one of the most widely known accounts of American POWs during the Vietnam War.