Arizonans are paying their respects to John McCain as the body of the late senator lays in state in the capitol for a final farewell.
“He dedicated his life to serve his country,” former Arizona senator Jon Kyl says during a ceremony in the capitol rotunda in Phoenix attended by McCain’s wife, Cindy, and children.
“When he saw challenges to its institutions or values, he fought to protect them,” Kyl says.
The Arizona National Guard carries the casket of US Senator John McCain during a memorial service at the Arizona Capitol on August 29, 2018, in Phoenix. (AFP/Pool/Rob Schumacher)
McCain’s remains were driven to the state capitol in a black hearse escorted by four policemen on motorcycles. An honor guard made up of veterans, servicemen, and members of law enforcement and firefighters greeted the flag-draped casket.
McCain’s daughter Meghan sobbed openly as her father’s casket was placed on the Arizona state seal where it will be displayed for the public until Thursday.
Cindy McCain, wife of the late US Senator John McCain, sits with her son Jack, second right, during a memorial service at the Arizona Capitol on August 29, 2018 in Phoenix, Arizona. (AFP/Pool/Jae C. Hong)
Cindy McCain placed her cheek on the casket and patted it delicately following the intimate ceremony.
The two-time Republican presidential candidate, naval aviator and prisoner-of-war in Vietnam died on Saturday after a year-long battle with brain cancer.
— AFP
Help us report truthfully on social media
As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos.
This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world.
If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting.
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you, David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel