Unlike so many American presidents who are deeply identified with a certain place, John Sidney McCain III, who was born in the Panama Canal Zone on Aug. 29, 1936, didn't have a hometown until he was well into middle age.
He was born to an institution: the United States Navy.
For The Record
Los Angeles Times Saturday, September 06, 2008 Home Edition Main News Part A Page 2 National Desk 1 inches; 35 words Type of Material: Correction
The imperfect hero: In Thursday's Section A, a caption for a 1961 photo accompanying a profile of John McCain gave his rank as lieutenant. When the photo was taken he was a lieutenant junior grade.
For The Record
Los Angeles Times Monday, September 08, 2008 Home Edition Main News Part A Page 2 National Desk 1 inches; 52 words Type of Material: Correction
"The imperfect hero": The profile of Sen. John McCain in Thursday's Section A said that Washington magazine once dubbed him "Senator Hothead." The magazine was the Washingtonian. Also, a caption for a 1961 photo with the profile gave McCain's Navy rank as lieutenant. At the time he was a lieutenant junior grade.
His father and grandfather, war heroes, are the nation's only father-and-son four-star admirals.
His father deposited him at the door of the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. -- "a place I belonged at but dreaded," he wrote -- in 1954, when he was 17. He was a lackluster student prone to demerits and bad grades.
"I was an arrogant, undisciplined, insolent midshipman," he wrote. "In short, I acted like a jerk."
His friends adored him.
"Living with John was just a great adventure," said Jack Dittrick, a roommate. "Especially in the confines of the Naval Academy."
McCain, known from Day One at Annapolis for his family name, chafed at the enforced hierarchies.
As a sophomore, he angrily confronted his captain, an unheard-of act of insubordination, after the officer tore apart McCain's sloppily made bed. "We were amazed and feared for John's safety, but nothing happened," said Frank Gamboa, who also roomed with McCain. "The officer was clearly out of line."
Once, when McCain and Gamboa were in the mess hall, they sat near a first classman who berated a Philippine steward.
"John said, 'Why don't you pick on somebody your own size?' " said Gamboa. "The first classman said, 'What did you say?' John said, 'You're picking on that steward, and he's doing the best he can.' "
The first classman stormed off in embarrassment and anger. "This established John's reputation in our class, a midshipman of unusual moral courage," said Gamboa. "Out of the norm, but not crazy."
The crazy times would happen after graduation in 1958, when McCain became a pilot, traveled the world and, by his own account, lived the life of a profligate flyboy.
He fell in love with a wealthy Brazilian fashion model; dated a stripper called Marie, the "Flame of Florida"; drove a Corvette; crashed two planes; and accidentally knocked out power lines -- "my daredevil clowning," he called it -- while flying too low in southern Spain.
McCain's grandfather, whose nickname was "Slew," crashed five planes before getting his wings at the unheard-of age of 52. He was a beak-nosed, foul-mouthed old salt whose devoted men sometimes called him "Popeye" behind his back.
