Carper on the Passing of Senator John McCain

WILMINGTON, Del. – Today, U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.) released the following statement on the passing of U.S. Senator John McCain:

“Today, our nation lost a true hero. While we have had a little over a year to prepare for this moment, time has not made preparing for this great loss any easier. I was privileged to serve with John McCain for several years, first in the House of Representatives and then for the past 17 years in the Senate. As freshman congressmen, he and I bonded over having both served in the Navy at the same time in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War. Later we worked on recovering the missing remains of our fallen soldiers, and our efforts, along with the efforts of others, led to normalized relations between the U.S. and Vietnam.

“We were both taught in the military to lead by example, and John did that every single day. He walked out of step when it was the right thing to do, he put his country above party, and we could use more leaders like him in public service.

“There will never be another man like John, he was truly an American original. But I hope in our own way we can all strive to be more like him. Tonight, Martha and I will pray for Cindy and the McCain family.”

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