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Thune & McCain - miltary connection from WWII

Liberty Belle

Well-known member
More about Harold Thune, Senator John Thune's father. And for those who got their knickers in a knot last time I posted an article about the Thune's - father and son are BOTH my heroes. I also admire Sen. McCain for the service he gave to our country, even though I have had differences with him on some of his political views.

McCains, Thunes share connection
By Kevin Woster


The Thune-McCain connection made the news last week. Turns out Sen. John Thune is bringing Sen. John McCain of Arizona to South Dakota this October for an event in Sioux Falls.

That's pretty cool. McCain makes news wherever he goes. And he and Thune are getting to be pretty good pals through their work on the Senate Armed Services Committee and an earlier trip to Iraq.

But there's another Thune-McCain connection. And this one goes back to World War II and the militarily stormy skies over the Pacific.

Thune's dad, Harold, was a Navy pilot flying some pretty hairy combat missions against the Japanese under the wide umbrella command of McCain's grandfather, John Sidney McCain.

Actually, that's Admiral John Sidney McCain Sr., a major figure in U.S. military history and the guy who signed the letter authorizing Harold Thune to receive the Distinguished Flying Cross back in December of 1944.

I know that because I was pestering Harold Thune by telephone Sunday afternoon. Because I'm nosy and he's nice, Harold spent five or 10 minutes shuffling through papers in his Murdo home to find the official commendation signed by Admiral McCain.

"Wait, here it is," Harold said. "It says, 'United States Pacific Fleet Commander, Second Carrier Task Force, in the name of the President of the United States. And it's signed by J.S. McCain, vice admiral."

It must be nice to have something like packed away in the den. Don't get me wrong, I'm plenty proud of my Cub Scout lion badge. And I'm pretty sure that if I dug around long enough, I could find my certificate for winning the northern-pike division (mine was a 3-pounder, the only entry) of the Mitchell Daily Republic fishing contest back in the early 1960s.

Still, that admiral thing is pretty nice, too. So is that Distinguished Flying Cross.

Harold Thune - officially Lieutenant Junior Grade Harold Richard Thune - has both back in Murdo, although he didn't say anything about any angling awards or a lion badge.

Thune was a tiger, however, at the controls of his Grumman F6F Hellcat back in the day. Hence, the flying cross, among other medals, and the certificate from Admiral McCain.

And, in fact, Harold Thune has a connection to Sen. John McCain as well. Both of them were Navy pilots. And both flew off the U.S.S. Intrepid - Thune in his prop-plane out in the Pacific and a jet-propelled John McCain 20 years later in preparation for service in Vietnam.

McCain's father, Admiral John S. McCain Jr., was Pacific forces commander during that war. And things went south for his son in North Vietnam. In 1967, the jet flown by John McCain III was hit by a missile over Hanoi. He bailed out, broke a bunch of bones upon landing and suffered additional injuries at the hands of some angry North Vietnamese.

As most of us know, McCain then spent 5-1/2 years as a prisoner of war, part of it in the infamous "Hanoi Hilton."

Harold Thune avoided that kind of misery but saw enough action to make him hesitant to yak much about it. Under polite pressure, he will admit to shooting down four Japanese Zeros and damaging two others in one especially hot firefight over Formosa.

He also lived through an explosive crash during take-off from a temporary landing strip in the Philippines.

Harold talked about those experiences, grudgingly, for a column I did last Memorial Day. But he wasn't about to expand the story on Sunday.

"It's ancient history," he said.

Well, sure, so is my lion badge. But I'm always willing to talk about that.

Contact Kevin Woster at 394-8413 or [email protected]
August 14, 2006
http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/articles/2006/08/14/news/columns/239woster.txt
 

Brad S

Well-known member
I must say being a member of the Keating 5 should have put those guys in prison - now we'd all say McCain already served his time. Also in McCain's favor, he's a little bit stupid and perhaps didn't understand the gravity of destabilizing the US banking system. With out a doubt McCain illustrated less than proper conservative credentials when he wanted to tax tobacco to reduce consumption. The inelastic demand curve of an addictive substance suggests a tax increase will NOT reduce consumption. This is why we originally taxed tobacco before we decided it was a public enemy. IIf ya think Rove using gays to creat wedge issues is new, review Klinton and tobacco.
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
I sure wish Thune would watch the company he keeps. I'd really hate to see him turn into a liberal RINO like McCain.
 

Tap

Well-known member
Judging McCain on politics only (not his POW days), if I were Thune I would not embrace but distance myself from him. McCain has been anything but the conservative that South Dakota voters usually look for in a politician.

But, maybe I'm lettting my dislike for McCain the politician cloud what is good about him. :wink:

Some days I wish that he would just officially change political parties so people could vote for him as he is.
 
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