Editing John McCain (section)

=== Commanding officer, liaison to Senate, and second marriage ===

McCain was reunited with his family when he [[Early life and military career of John McCain#Return to United States|returned]] to the United States. His wife [[Carol McCain|Carol]] had been severely injured by an automobile accident in December 1969. She was then four inches shorter, in a wheelchair or on crutches, and substantially heavier than when he had last seen her. As a returned POW, he became a celebrity of sorts.<ref name="az-return">{{Cite book|last1=Nowicki|first1=Dan|last2=Muller|first2=Bill|chapter-url=https://www.azcentral.com/news/specials/mccain/articles/0301mccainbio-chapter4.html|title=John McCain Report|chapter=Back in the U.S.A.|publisher=[[The Arizona Republic]]|date=March 1, 2007|access-date=November 10, 2007|archive-date=November 23, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081123055444/http://www.azcentral.com/news/specials/mccain/articles/0301mccainbio-chapter4.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

[[File:John McCain 19742.jpg|thumb|alt=White-haired man in thirties sitting in a chair, pack of cigarettes readily available|Lieutenant Commander McCain being interviewed after his return from Vietnam, April 1973]]
[[File:Richard Nixon Greets John McCain.jpg|thumb|right|Lieutenant Commander McCain greeting President Nixon, May 1973]]

McCain underwent treatment for his injuries that included months of [[physical therapy]].<ref name="Kristof">{{Cite news|author-link=Nicholas Kristof|last=Kristof|first=Nicholas|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2000/02/27/us/pow-to-power-broker-a-chapter-most-telling.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091218213311/http://www.nytimes.com/2000/02/27/us/pow-to-power-broker-a-chapter-most-telling.html |archive-date=December 18, 2009 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=P.O.W. to Power Broker, A Chapter Most Telling|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=February 27, 2000|access-date=April 22, 2007}}</ref> He attended the [[National War College]] at [[Fort McNair]] in Washington, D.C., during 1973–1974.<ref>Alexander, ''Man of the People'', 81.</ref> He was rehabilitated by late 1974, and his flight status was reinstated. In 1976, he became [[Commanding Officer]] of a training squadron stationed in Florida.<ref name="az-return" /><ref name="dict-va174">[http://www.history.navy.mil/download/va154174.pdf ''Dictionary of American Naval Aviation Squadrons''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080308224044/http://www.history.navy.mil/download/va154174.pdf |date=March 8, 2008}}, Volume 1, [[Naval Historical Center]]. Retrieved May 19, 2008.</ref> He improved the unit's flight readiness and safety records,<ref>Vartabedian, Ralph. [https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2008-apr-14-na-mccainsquadron14-story.html "McCain has long relied on his grit"], ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' (April 14, 2008). Retrieved September 2, 2008.</ref> and won the squadron its first-ever [[Meritorious Unit Commendation]].<ref name="dict-va174" /> During this period in Florida, he had extramarital affairs, and his marriage began to falter, about which he later stated: "The blame was entirely mine".<ref>Timberg, ''American Odyssey'', pp. 123–24</ref><ref name="az-arizona" />

[[Early life and military career of John McCain#Senate liaison, divorce, and second marriage|McCain served as the Navy's liaison]] to the U.S. Senate beginning in 1977.<ref name=Frantz>{{cite web | last=Frantz | first=Douglas | title=The Arizona Ties: A Beer Baron and a Powerful Publisher Put McCain on a Political Path | website=The New York Times Web Archive | date=2000-02-21 | url=https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/library/politics/camp/022100wh-gop-mccain2.html | access-date=2025-04-09}}</ref> In retrospect, he said that this represented his "real entry into the world of politics, and the beginning of my second career as a public servant."<ref name="az-return" /> His key behind-the-scenes role gained congressional financing for a new [[supercarrier]] against the wishes of the [[Carter administration]].<ref name="Kristof" /><ref>Timberg, ''American Odyssey'', pp. 132–34</ref>

In April 1979,<ref name="Kristof" /> McCain met [[Cindy Lou Hensley]], a teacher from [[Phoenix, Arizona]], whose [[Jim Hensley|father]] had founded [[Hensley & Co.|a large beer distributorship]].<ref name="az-arizona">Nowicki, Dan and Muller, Bill. [https://www.azcentral.com/news/specials/mccain/articles/0301mccainbio-chapter5.html "John McCain Report: Arizona, the early years"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080724131214/http://www.azcentral.com/news/specials/mccain/articles/0301mccainbio-chapter5.html |date=July 24, 2008 }}, ''[[The Arizona Republic]]'' (March 1, 2007). Regarding his first marriage, McCain said that he "had not shown the same determination to rebuild (his) personal life" as he had shown in his military career, and that "marriages can be hard to recover after great time and distance have separated a husband and wife. We are different people when we reunite{{nbsp}}... But my marriage's collapse was attributable to my own selfishness and immaturity more than it was to Vietnam, and I cannot escape blame by pointing a finger at the war. The blame was entirely mine." Retrieved November 21, 2007.</ref> They began dating, and he urged his wife, Carol, to grant him a divorce, which she did in February 1980; the uncontested divorce took effect in April 1980.<ref name="alexander-92" /><ref name="Kristof" /> The settlement included two houses and financial support for her ongoing medical treatments due to her 1969 car accident; they remained on good terms.<ref name="az-arizona" /> McCain and Hensley were married on May 17, 1980, with Senators [[William Cohen]] and [[Gary Hart]] attending as [[groomsmen]].<ref name="dmr-mccain" /><ref name="az-arizona" /> McCain's children did not attend, and several years passed before they reconciled.<ref name="nyt122707" /><ref name="Kristof" /> John and Cindy McCain entered into a [[prenuptial agreement]] that kept most of her family's assets under her name; they kept their finances separate and filed separate [[Tax return (United States)|income tax returns]].<ref name="ap041808">[https://www.cbsnews.com/news/mccain-releases-his-tax-returns/ "McCain Releases His Tax Returns"], [[Associated Press]] for [[CBS News]] (April 18, 2008). Retrieved April 24, 2008.</ref>
[[File:Phoenix-John Mccain House-1951-1.jpg|left|thumb|The residence of John and Cindy McCain in Phoenix, Arizona]]

McCain decided to leave the Navy. It was doubtful whether he would ever be promoted to the rank of [[Admiral (United States)|full admiral]], as he had poor annual physicals and had not been given a major sea command.<ref>Timberg, ''American Odyssey'', p. 135</ref> His chances of being promoted to [[rear admiral (lower half)|rear admiral]] were better, but he declined that prospect, as he had already made plans to run for Congress and said he could "do more good there."<ref name="Kirkpatrick">Kirkpatrick, David. [https://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/29/us/politics/29mccain.html "Senate's Power and Allure Drew McCain From Military "] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180707012542/https://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/29/us/politics/29mccain.html |date=July 7, 2018 }}, ''[[The New York Times]]'' (May 29, 2008). Retrieved May 29, 2008.</ref><ref name="wapo101308">[[Michael Leahy (author)|Leahy, Michael]]. [https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/12/AR2008101202306.html "Seeing White House From a Cell in Hanoi"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180707040424/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/12/AR2008101202306.html |date=July 7, 2018 }}, ''[[The Washington Post]]'' (October 13, 2008). Retrieved October 17, 2008.</ref>

McCain retired from the Navy as a [[Captain (United States O-6)|captain]] on April 1, 1981.<ref name="ap050708" /><ref>Alexander, ''Man of the People'', p. 93</ref> He was designated as disabled and awarded a [[veteran's pension|disability pension]].<ref>Vartabedian, Ralph. [https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2008-apr-22-na-pension22-story.html "John McCain gets tax-free disability pension"], ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' (April 22, 2008).</ref> Upon leaving the military, he moved to Arizona. His numerous military decorations and awards include: the [[Silver Star]], two [[Legion of Merit]]s, [[Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)|Distinguished Flying Cross]], three Bronze Star Medals, two [[Purple Heart]]s, two [[Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal]]s, and the [[Prisoner of War Medal]].<ref name="ap050708">Kuhnhenn, Jim. [https://web.archive.org/web/20090627082502/http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/05/07/navy_releases_mccains_military_record/ "Navy releases McCain's military record"]. [[Associated Press]]. ''[[Boston Globe]]'' (May 7, 2008). Retrieved May 25, 2008.</ref>