IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Statement by Secretary of Defense James N. Mattis:
We have lost a man who steadfastly represented the best ideals of our country. As a Naval Officer and defiant prisoner of war, John McCain stood with his brothers-in-arms until they returned home together.
Passionately committed to our country, Senator McCain always put service to the Nation before self. He recognized that for our experiment in democracy to long endure, people of action and passion must serve. In this he represented what he believed, that “a shared purpose does not claim our identity—on the contrary, it enlarges your sense of self.”
His was a life well lived, one whose actions epitomized the motto of his alma mater, the U.S. Naval Academy: non sibi, sed patriae—“not for self, but for country.”
On behalf of all of the men and women of the Department of Defense, we will remain forever grateful for the life, the passion, and the example of Senator John McCain. Our sympathy and kindest wishes are with Cindy and his family.
