Which future US senator was shot down over Hanoi in 1967 and held as a POW?

John McCain was the future U.S. senator shot down over Hanoi in 1967 and held as a prisoner of war.

On October 26, 1967, McCain was flying his 23rd bombing mission over North Vietnam in an A-4E Skyhawk. A missile struck the aircraft over Hanoi, and he ejected, suffering serious injuries before landing in Trúc Bạch Lake. North Vietnamese civilians pulled him from the water, and he was taken to Hỏa Lò Prison.

McCain spent more than five years as a POW, enduring severe injuries, isolation, torture, and repeated pressure to make propaganda statements. He refused an offer of early release unless prisoners captured before him were released first, following the POWs’ interpretation of military conduct rules. He was finally released in March 1973.

After returning to the United States, McCain continued his Navy career and entered politics. He represented Arizona in the U.S. House before serving as a U.S. senator from 1987 until his death in 2018.