Mary Bowerman USA TODAY Network Cindy McCain placed a wreath at the Vietnam War Memorial Saturday in honor of her husband, who was a former Navy aviator and prisoner of war in Vietnam. The motorcade carrying Sen. John McCain's remains stopped at the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington, on the way to the Washington National Cathedral. Crowds gathered to watch as McCain's family stood by the wall of names of Vietnam veteran's who were killed. McCain, a Navy pilot, graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1958 and retired in 1981 as a captain. He flew attack aircraft during the Vietnam War and was shot down over Hanoi in 1967, injured, and spent more than five years as a prisoner of war. The ribbon on the wreath said "In Honor Of All Who Served" in gold letters. More:John McCain's letter to a future Navy pilot arrived two days after his death. Here's what he told him More:John McCain memorial: Obama and Bush deliver eulogies at the National Cathedral Contributing: Jen Fifield, Arizona Republic<doc-sep>WASHINGTON – David Daks of New City, New York, paused in front of the American flag Friday to explain to his 6-year-old granddaughter, Arielle, that it was lowered to half-staff to honor the late Arizona Sen. John McCain. The flagpole sits a few steps away from the path to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, where the Daks family joined a steady stream of visitors to the memorial – known to most as "the Wall" – and other monuments saluting veterans on the National Mall. Several people said they couldn’t help but think of McCain, a former Navy aviator and prisoner of war in Vietnam, as they searched for names of friends and loved ones engraved into the panels of black granite. “I liked him," said Daks, who said he voted for the Republican senator when he ran for president. “He was a real person with flaws and all.” Daks' daughter, Danielle, called McCain “one of the better politicians." “I like that he stood up for what he believed in. He wasn’t a cookie-cutter politician," she said. “He was willing to go against his party for his convictions. We don’t have a lot of that today." Meanwhile, across town, members of Congress and other dignitaries were at the U.S. Capitol for a memorial ceremony for McCain. McCain is only the 31st person to lie in state in the Capitol. Later Friday evening, hundreds were expected to gather for a candlelight vigil at the memorial to honor McCain. Then, on Saturday morning, the motorcade carrying McCain's casket to the Washington National Cathedral for a service will stop at the memorial where his wife, Cindy McCain, will lay a wreath. Bob Healy, a ranger with the National Park Service, said a lot of people have streamed through the memorial in recent days, many of them saying they had come to Washington to pay their respects to McCain. “Each has their own perspective on Sen. McCain and what he meant to them," Healy said. “Many just felt he was a man of character and courage." Some visitors said they didn’t agree with McCain’s politics but praised him for his military service and efforts to work across the aisle. “Even though I wasn’t a McCain supporter, hearing his name invokes dignity and decency," Sue Halfond of Philadelphia said. “He seemed to put the needs and desires of the country above his own elevation." Halfond’s cousin, Lois Richards of Chicago, said she was impressed by the lineup of speakers McCain chose for his memorial service. “I appreciate the clear message he’s sending with the speakers, especially Obama and Biden – two men who defeated him for the presidency," she said of Democrats Barack Obama and Joe Biden. “To quote President Obama, Sen. McCain is saying we can disagree but not be disagreeable.’’ Deb Drummond of Brighton, Michigan, said she had considered going to the Capitol for the viewing but decided against braving the crowds. Instead, Drummond and Lori Weatherwax of Berkley, Michigan, visited the Vietnam wall. They were in town for a conference of women who served in the Marines. “As a veteran, he was a hero," Drummond said. “I didn’t agree with his politics in the end, but I always respected him as a veteran." Weatherwax said McCain was at the forefront of veteran issues. “He was an advocate for bettering the VA system," she said. "You don’t have to be a Republican or Democrat to try to do the right thing for your country.” More:Nation's political leaders pay tribute as John McCain lies in state at U.S. Capitol Also:John McCain at Capitol: In line, mourners from opposing political views become friends Related:VP Pence says John McCain 'served his country honorably'<doc-sep>Former presidents, senators, family and friends remembered the extraordinary life of John McCain at the Washington National Cathedral on Saturday. McCain's casket will be taken to Annapolis on Sunday to be buried at the U.S. Naval Academy Cemetary. The family of Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., follows as his casket is carried during the recessional at the end of a memorial service at Washington National Cathedral in Washington, Saturday, Sept. 1, 2018. McCain died Aug. 25, from brain cancer at age 81. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) AP/Pablo Martinez Monsivais Meghan McCain speaks at a memorial service for her father, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., at Washington National Cathedral in Washington, Saturday, Sept. 1, 2018. McCain died Aug. 25, from brain cancer at age 81. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) AP/Pablo Martinez Monsivais Former President Barack Obama pauses as he speaks at a memorial service for Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., at Washington National Cathedral in Washington, Saturday, Sept. 1, 2018. McCain died Aug. 25, from brain cancer at age 81. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) AP/Pablo Martinez Monsivais Former President George W. Bush speaks at a memorial service for Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., at Washington National Cathedral in Washington, Saturday, Sept. 1, 2018. McCain died Aug. 25, from brain cancer at age 81. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) AP/Pablo Martinez Monsivais Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger speaks at a memorial service for Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., at Washington National Cathedral in Washington, Saturday, Sept. 1, 2018. McCain died Aug. 25, from brain cancer at age 81. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) AP/Pablo Martinez Monsivais The flag-draped casket of Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., is carried to a hearse from the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Saturday, Sept. 1, 2018, in Washington, for a departure to the Washington National Cathedral for a memorial service. McCain died Aug. 25 from brain cancer at age 81. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana) AP/Jose Luis Magana A plastic cover blows off in the wind as the flag-draped casket of Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., is carried down the steps of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Saturday, Sept. 1, 2018, in Washington, for a departure to the Washington National Cathedral for a memorial service. (Marvin Joseph/The Washington Post via AP, Pool) AP/Marvin Joseph David Romley of Germantown, Md., right, holds an American flag as he visits the Vietnam Veterans Memorial after Cindy McCain, wife of, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., lays a wreath, Saturday, Sept. 1, 2018, in Washington, during a funeral procession to carry the casket of her husband from the U.S. Capitol to National Cathedral for a Memorial Service. McCain served as a Navy pilot during the Vietnam War and was a prisoner of war for more than five years. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) AP/Andrew Harnik Visitors crowd the Vietnam Veterans Memorial after Cindy McCain, wife of, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., placed a wreath, Saturday, Sept. 1, 2018, in Washington, during a funeral procession to carry the casket of her husband from the U.S. Capitol to National Cathedral for a Memorial Service. McCain served as a Navy pilot during the Vietnam War and was a prisoner of war for more than five years. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) AP/Andrew Harnik A crowd gathers before Cindy McCain, wife of, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., arrives to lay a wreath at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, Saturday, Sept. 1, 2018, during a funeral procession to carry the casket of her husband from the U.S. Capitol to National Cathedral for a memorial service. McCain served as a Navy pilot during the Vietnam War and was a prisoner of war for more than five years. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, Pool) AP/Andrew Harnik ( 1 /10) Share This Gallery: Share on Facebook. Share on Twitter. Share via email. Print. WASHINGTON — Events honoring the late Sen. John McCain began with a procession Saturday morning starting at the U.S. Capitol and ending at the Washington National Cathedral, with a stop at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Around 8:40 a.m., McCain’s body was carried down the steps of the Capitol to a motorcade, which took him to the Cathedral after a brief stop at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. The public was invited to line up along Constitution Avenue as the motorcade made its way to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, where McCain’s wife, Cindy McCain, laid a ceremonial wreath in honor of those killed during the war. See a map of the procession route here. John Scully of Alexandria was at the memorial his wife and three kids. “My dad was a Midshipman at the Naval Academy when McCain was shot down, so I think he and all the other prisoners in the Hanoi Hilton were heroes to my dad and his classmates from that time, and had a lot of respect for him and his service, sacrifice, his decision to refuse early release. He served his country for decades.” “I grew up learning about him and considered him a hero too for his service in the war and after. I wanted my kids to know who John McCain was and what he stands for,” Scully said. Remembering John McCain – Curated tweets by WTOP The memorial service at the cathedral began at 10 a.m. Speakers included McCain’s family, friends, colleagues and other invited guests. Former Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush spoke during the service, along with Sen. Lindsey Graham, former Sen. Joe Lieberman and former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. See the full list of speakers and memorials from the service. Former President George W. Bush talked about McCain as a man who was unafraid to stand up to those who would abuse their power and said that presidents were no exception. Bush said that after their time butting heads as a president and a senator came to an end, their relationship changed. “In the end I got to enjoy one of life’s great gifts: the friendship of John McCain. And I miss him,” Bush said. “He loved freedom with the passion of a man who knew its absence.” Barrack Obama remembered McCain as a passionate political opponent who was unafraid to stand up to those in power.<doc-sep>The conversation, as they all do these days, turned to Trump. Like others here at the Wall, Will and Carol couldn’t stand for the president’s flipping and flopping on whether to keep the White House flag at half-staff. Some passing through thought of McCain as one of Trump’s toughest critics, others not so much. One couple, Jane and David Lang, in from Minnesota, said that even though they are both big Trump supporters, they “still” thought of McCain as an honorable man.<doc-sep>
The late Arizona Sen. John McCain John Sidney McCainHannity tells Santorum he helped prevent Joy Reid from being fired Richard Hanania sees Trump as 2024 GOP nominee Why Republican politicians are sticking with Trump MORE (R) was honored by members of his family with a wreath-laying at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., on Saturday ahead of his funeral service at the Washington National Cathedral. Video captured by NBC News Saturday morning showed McCain's wife, Cindy McCain, laying a wreath at the memorial for her husband alongside daughter Meghan McCain and flanked by Gen. John Kelly John Francis KellyMORE, currently White House chief of staff, and Defense Secretary Gen. James Mattis James Norman MattisBiden's is not a leaky ship of state — not yet Rejoining the Iran nuclear deal would save lives of US troops, diplomats The soft but unmatched power of US foreign exchange programs MORE. WATCH: Cindy McCain lays wreath at Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC. pic.twitter.com/RPjEumbddM — NBC News (@NBCNews) September 1, 2018 A blue sash on the wreath read "in honor of all those who served," and makeshift signs and other items memorializing McCain surrounded the wreath after it was placed. ADVERTISEMENT McCain served during the Vietnam War, during which he was captured by North Vietnamese forces and held captive for years after his plane was shot down Pausing briefly at the memorial, McCain's widow could be seen offering a silent prayer while standing alongside the two generals before heading to the National Cathedral with her escort. As the family left, a loud cheer erupted from assembled mourners in honor of McCain, according to multiple news reports. McCain family heads back to cars in the motorcade. A round of applause from the crowd broke out shortly after pic.twitter.com/R1cV2pJHyg — Ryan Miller (@RyanW_Miller) September 1, 2018 McCain will be eulogized by former Presidents Obama and George W. Bush at Saturday's service, and will be buried at his alma mater, the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. The Arizona senator, a longtime senator who often spurned his own party in favor of bipartisan consensus, died last week at the age of 81 from brain cancer.