WASHINGTON -- John McCain's mother is 106 and lives here in Washington with her son Joe McCain who helps take care of her. Joe is six years younger than his famous brother.
"It's still an incredible shock. And I was stunned." Joe McCain says even though his brother's death was not a surprise, he was still shocked.
"I mean he'd been through four major plane crashes, he's been through a melanoma, he was in the middle of that horrible fire. He got shot down in Vietnam, and if he hadn't ejected upside down, that would've killed him, and then he survived the terrible beatings. I thought the man could survive any dark beast. You know? He was just always there. I thought he was going to live forever. He was funny, he was interesting. But he was my brother. He was my older brother. He was idol, my hero. My, I'll miss that."
It's impossible to not see the strong resemblance between the two brothers. They look and sound alike.
"He actually had a Senate resolution for me to change my name and to get some plastic surgery, but I found a good lawyer and, no I'm just kidding," Joe joked.
That sense humor, much like his famous brother's, came from their mom: Roberta McCain.
She is 106 years old. A stroke slowed her down years ago, and her speech is limited now. But her personality is reflected in her vibrant, bright home....and in her children.
"She was voluble, and and funny and acerbic. So, we got our personalities from her," said Joe.
From their father, Admiral John McCain, they learned a sense of honor. That your word is your bond. Their grandfather was also a Navy Admiral and can be seen in a famous picture in Roberta's home that Joe points to.
"September. 2 1945, this is the official end of WWII. This gentleman there is my grandfather," he said.
Though John McCain never personally accepted the hero title, Joe says he certainly was.
"When the POW beatings started to get out and was a problem for the North Vietnamese, they wanted to release him as a humanitarian gesture. The Admiral's kid. And he refused. And, that's what makes him a hero, declining an early release," said Joe.
Joe McCain says he's perplexed and saddened by President Trump's treatment of his brother.
"This Trump not even addressing when John was sick and dying and this refusal to call him a hero, I mean it sounds petulant. It sounds childish. And I don't think that's going to do Trump any good," said Joe.
Joe says he voted for Trump but would not do it again. He's proud that his brother stood up for what he believed, to the end.
"John always felt that it was his duty to try to do the right thing without regard to any other considerations. And I think that's what he ought to be remembered for," said Joe.
Roberta McCain was a huge supporter of her son John. She campaigned for him ten years ago when she was 96 and he was running for President.
