John McCain got a hero's welcome in Little Saigon on Wednesday night, where a crowd of nearly 3,000 turned out to hear the Republican presidential candidate ask for votes from Californians.
McCain, who was held prisoner for 5 1/2 years during the Vietnam War, thanked the Vietnamese community for fighting communism and said his sacrifice paled against that of South Vietnamese soldiers who were jailed and tortured in their homeland.
"These are our enduring examples of the human spirit in surviving the most challenging circumstances," he said, acknowledging several South Vietnamese veterans who stood beside him at the podium. "In their company I am humbled."
McCain spoke for 20 minutes outside the Asian Gardens Mall, a Westminster landmark. He touched on several familiar themes: his calls to reform campaign finance and increase military spending, and criticism of China for threatening the sovereignty of Taiwan.
The largest crowd response came during his heartfelt thanks to those who fought with him as soldiers in Vietnam. "My experiences with you were the defining period of my life," he said.
At the end of the speech, the air was filled with fluttering yellow and red streamers, the colors of the Vietnamese flag before the communist takeover.
McCain did not address the controversy earlier this year when he drew fire from minority groups for referring to his captors during the war as "gooks." A campaign spokesman said the candidate "has said all he's going to say about it."
McCain has said he used the epithet to describe only his captors, who beat him nearly to death during his incarceration.
Some political observers said the harsh term cast McCain as intolerant. Such a label could hurt him in areas where he has shown strength in other states--among minority groups, Democrats and independent voters.
The crowd at Wednesday night's rally was overwhelmingly supportive and enthusiastic though.
"He's a hero," said Nhi Le, 22, of Huntington Beach. "My opinion is that he said it when he was really angry. He didn't mean it for all of the Vietnamese."
Said Phong Nguyen, 40, of Irvine: "If you put yourself in his shoes, when they tortured him . . . what would you say? He just showed his anger, not discrimination."
Campaign organizers said McCain was planning to visit Orange County--with a stop in Little Saigon--before his remarks about his Vietnamese captors were publicized.
