The former Presidents of the United States, Barack Obama and George Bush among other top dignitaries have paid tributes to John McCain who died on Saturday.
John McCain, a former prisoner of war in Vietnam who served as a U.S. senator from Arizona for more than three decades and a one-time Rupublican Party presidential candidate, died at the age of 81 after battling with brain cancer.
In a statement on Sunday Barack Obama and his wife Michelle said, “Few of us have been tested the way John once was or required to show the kind of courage that he did. But all of us can aspire to the courage to put the greater good above our own.
“At John’s best, he showed us what that means. And for that, we are all in his debt. Michelle and I send our most heartfelt condolences to Cindy and their family.”
George Bush said, “Some lives are so vivid, it is difficult to imagine them ended. Some voices are so vibrant, it is hard to think of them still.
“John McCain was a man of deep conviction and a patriot of the highest order. He was a public servant in the finest traditions of our country. And to me, he was a friend whom I’ll deeply miss.”
Vice President of the United States said in a statement, “Karen and I send our deepest condolences to Cindy and the entire McCain family on the passing of Senator John McCain.
“We honour his lifetime of service to this nation in our military and in public life. His family and friends will be in our prayers. God bless John McCain.”
A former President of the United States, Jimmy Carter described John McCain as a man of honour.
He said, “John McCain was a man of honour, a true patriot in the best sense of the word. Americans will be forever grateful for his heroic military service and for his steadfast integrity as a member of the United States Senate.”
A former Vice President, Joe Biden, said “As a POW, John endured the worst of what human beings can do to one another. In politics, he fell short of his greatest ambition. At the end of his life, he faced a cruel and relentless disease.
“Through it all, he never lost sight of what he believed most: Country First. And the spirit that drove him was never extinguished: we are here to commit ourselves to something bigger than ourselves.”
