looking out over the city —— and me. discussing the religious and political history that had happened there over the centuries. so when i first told john that i had decided not to run for the senate again in 2012 he was puzzled and frankly even a bit angry. but then the next day he called me and this is my best recollection of the conversation, he said, i've been thinking, if you go out into the private sector you will make some more money and then you can make some more money and then you ca n afford make some more money and then you can afford to buy a second home in jerusalem that has an extra room for me. with a balcony. where we can look out and talk about that city and its history. since then one i've talked tojohn and its history. since then one i've talked to john or visited and its history. since then one i've talked tojohn or visited with him, he would ask me, have you made enough money to buy that place in

jerusalem? and i would say, not yet, johnny, but i'm getting closer. now, sadly, fate has intervened before we could realise that dream. but i am comforted by the fact that jerusalem is not just but i am comforted by the fact that jerusalem is notjust a hallway and historic city. it is also the visionary symbol of the dreams that all people share and a destiny that we all desire. —— notjust a holy city. it is a heavenly shining city on the hill and in that sense, for many people in the life of the spirit, jerusalem, the shining city on the hill, it is heaven. and it is to that halep —— had onlyjerusalem

—— heavenly jerusalem to that halep —— had onlyjerusalem —— heavenlyjerusalem that i am confident that the soul ofjohn mccain is going to now. and i want to imagine that there is going to be a beautiful home waiting for him with a balcony from which he can contemplate the shining city. and hopefully inspire us here on earth to conduct ourselves with just some of the patriotism, principles and courage that characterise his magnificent life of service to america and to so many noble causes greater than himself. godspeed, america and to so many noble causes greaterthan himself. godspeed, dear friend. me angels sing you to you eternal. ——may angels sing you

to your eternal home. he was paying tribute to cindy, john mccain's wife, and john mccain leading the rhetoric, notjust living and talking by it. he lived by his words. we will hear from the honourable doctor henry kissingeri controversial honoureble doctor henry kissingeri controversial figure himself later. controversialfigure himself but no less the former us secretary of state and national security advisor under richard nixon and gerald ford, back in 1973 he received the nobel peace prize for his negotiation of the ceasefire which mr field in vietnam. here he is now being guided to the pulpit. we have also heard from meghan

mccain. she was very passionate and an emotional tribute she paige doherty father. —— paid to her father. she was talking about people who had not served their country. you can see the wife of senatorjohn mccain, cindy, also in the congregation. as well as his 106 old mother, roberta mccain. at times of national trial, many great personalities have emerged. the reminders of our essential unity and have inspired us to the fill our sustaining values. john mccain was one of those gifts of destiny.

i metjohn for the first i met john for the first time i metjohn for the first time in april 1973 at a white house reception for prisoners return from captivity in vietnam he had been much on my mind during the negotiations to end the vietnam war. partly, also because of his father, then commander—in—chief of the pacific command. when briefing the president, and some references to his son by saying only, "i pray for him." and john mccain's family,

national service was its own reward. they did not allow for special treatment. i thought of that when his vietnamese captors during the final phase of negotiations offered to release john saw that he could return with me on the official plane that brought me to hanoi. against all of my instincts, i thanked them for the offer but refused it. i wondered whatjohn would for the offer but refused it. i wondered what john would see when we finally met. his reading was both ——

is greeting was both self—effacing and moving. "thank you for saving my honour. " and moving. "thank you for saving my honour." he did not tell me then that he had had an opportunity to be freed years before, but had refused. a decision for which he had to endure additional periods of isolation and hardship. nor did he ever speak of his captivity again. during the near half—century of close friendship. john 's focus was oi'i close friendship. john 's focus was on creating a better future. as a

senator, he supported the restoration of relations with vietnam, helped bring it about on ebay, —— on a bipartisan basis under the clinton administration and became one of the advocates of reconciliation with his erstwhile enemy. it is an intangible quality. it is not obligatory. it has no written called. ——it has no written code. it fulfils a cause, not a personal

ambition. it represents what a society lives for beyond the necessities of the moment. law makes life possible. honour and mobility... forjohn, it was a way of life. john returned to an america divided over its presidency, divided over the war. amidst all of the turmoil and civic unrest, divided over the best way to protect our country and over whether it should

be respected for its power, or its ideals. john came back from the war and declared that this was a false choice. america owed it to itself to embrace both strengths and ideals. in decades of condition service, ultimately as chairman to this committee, john was an incompatible exponent —— great exponent of an america strong enough to vindicate its purpose. but john america strong enough to vindicate its purpose. butjohn believed also ina its purpose. butjohn believed also in a compassionate america, guided

by core principles for which american foreign policy must always stand. with liberty and justice for all, it is not a name —— it is not an empty sentiment, he argued. it is the formation of our national companies. —— compass. it had universal applicability for john. he warned against the temptation of

withdrawal from the world. we will not thrive in a world, he warned, where our leadership and ideals are absent. we would not deserve it. in this manner, john mccain's name became synonymous with an america that had reached out to oblige the powerful to be lawful. and give hope to the oppressed. tojohn, they were never academic maximums. he was in the front lines of all of these battles for decency and freedom. he was an engaged warrior, fighting for

his causes, with the brilliance, courage and utility to the limit of what was feasible, and sometimes miraculously even beyond that. john was always about hope. any commencement speech at a university in ohio, john summed up in essence the engagement of a lifetime. none of us, if they have character, leaves behind a wasted life. like

most people, of my age, i feel the longing for what is lost and cannot be restored, but if the happy pursuits and casual beauty of youth groups favourable, — — pursuits and casual beauty of youth groups favourable, —— proves favourable, something better can endure and endure into the last moment on earth. and that is a lovely gift any moment of our lakes when we have sacrificed

for something greater than ourselves. he was inspired us by the sacrifice. ——heroes inspire us by their sacrifice. the world will be lonelier byjohn mccain. his faith in america, his instinctive sense of moral duty. none of us will ever forget how even in his parting, john has bestowed on us in his parting, john has bestowed on usa

in his parting, john has bestowed on us a much needed moment of unity, and a renewed faith in the possibilities of america. henceforth, the country's on is ours to sustain. —— the country's honour is ours to sustain. so, that was henry kissinger, 95 eagled henry kissinger, being his tribute. a controversial figure, eagled henry kissinger, being his tribute. a controversialfigure, but paying his tribute tojohn mccain.

this is the memorial service you are watching, the final public service beforejohn mccain watching, the final public service before john mccain is watching, the final public service beforejohn mccain is laid to rest ata beforejohn mccain is laid to rest at a private service tomorrow by his family. mr kissinger was speaking about the time that he metjohn mccain in 1973. this was around the time that he had been involved in the negotiation for a ceasefire in vietnam. and before henry kissinger, mr lieberman, one of the three amigos as they were known, also took to the pool but and spoke of his dear friend, following the death of john mccain. he had actually said very little initially and they had served in the senate together for 2h yea rs. served in the senate together for 2h years. much talk about him almost being chosen as a running mate in 2008. so let us just listening to the service from washington national

cathedral. choir sing amazing grace cindy and the family ofjohn mccain, iam cindy and the family ofjohn mccain, i am honoured to be with you and celebrate a great life. the nation joins your extraordinary family in grief and gratitude forjohn mccain. some lies are so vivid, it is difficult to imagine them ending. ——some lives are so vivid, it is difficult to imagine them ending. a man who seldom rested is laid to rest and his absence is tangible, like the silence after a mighty roar. the thing aboutjohn's life is the amazing sweep of it, from a tiny

prison cell in vietnam to the floor of the united states senate. from troublemaking man to presidential candidate. whereverjohn troublemaking man to presidential candidate. wherever john passed troublemaking man to presidential candidate. whereverjohn passed up the world, people immediately knew there was a leader in their midst. and one epic life wrote encouraging greatness to our country. forjohn and me, there was a personal journey. our hard —fought and me, there was a personal journey. our hard—fought political history. back in the day, he could frustrate me. and i know they would say the same thing about me. but he also made me better. in recent yea rs, also made me better. in recent years , we also made me better. in recent years, we sometimes talk about that intense period like football players, remembering a big game. in the process, rivalry melted away. in the process, rivalry melted away. in the end, i got to enjoy one of

life's great gifts, the friendship ofjohn mccain, and i will miss him. moments before my last debate, ever, with senatorjohn kerry in phoenix, i was trying to gather some thoughts in the holding room. ifelt a presence, i opened my eyes, and six inches from my face wasjohn mccain who yelled relax, relax! laughter john was above all a man with a chord. he lived by a set of public virtues that brought strength and part —— credit to his family and himself. he was with a courage that inspired his countrymen and fighting his captors. he was honest, no matter who he had offended. residents were not

speared. —— presidents were not spared. he loved the freedom with the passion of a man who knew its absence. he respected the dignity inherent in every life, a dignity that does not stop at borders and cannot be raised by dictators. perhaps above alljohn detested the abuse of power. he could not abide bigots. there was something deep inside him that made him stand up for the little guy. this big for forgotten people and forgotten places. one friend from his naval academy days recalls that while a lowly man watched as an upper—class man verbally abused a stuart. he told the jerk to pick on someone his

own size. it was a familiar refrain during his six decades of service. where do such strength and conviction come from? perhaps from a family where honour was in the atmosphere. orfrom the family where honour was in the atmosphere. or from the first—hand experience of cruelty, which left physical reminders that lifted his whole life. or from some deep well of moral principle. whatever the cause, it was this combination of courage and decency that defined john's calling and paralleled the calling of this country. this combination of courage and decency makes the american military something new in history, an unrivalled power for good. it something new in history, an unrivalled powerfor good. it is this combination of courage and decency that set america on a journey into the world, the liberated death camps, to stand

guard against extremism and to work for true peace through freedom. john selby ‘s commitment and his boys. it isa selby ‘s commitment and his boys. it is a tribute to his moral compass that dissidents and prisoners in so many places from russia to north korea and china knew that he was on the side. and i think that has respect meant more to him than any medals could bring in his life. the passion for fairness and justice extended to our own military, when a private was poorly equipped or seaman private was poorly equipped or seaman overworked in terrible conditions, john enjoyed nothing more than dressing down and admiral general. he remained a troublesome man to the end. those in political power were not exempt. through various points in his long career, john confronted policies and practices that he believed were u nworthy of practices that he believed were unworthy of his country. to the face of those in authorityjohn mccain

with this is that we are better than this. america is better than this. john would be the first to tell you he is not the perfect man but he dedicated his life to national ideals that are as perfect as men and women have yet conceived. he was motivated by a vision of america carried forward ever upward on the strength of its principles. he saw oui’ strength of its principles. he saw our country not only added physical place or power, but as the carrier of enduring human aspirations, as an advocate of the oppressed, added defender of the peace, as a promise unwavering, and then, unequal. the strength of the democracy is renewed by reaffirming the principles on which it is founded. and america somehow has always found leaders who we re somehow has always found leaders who were up to that task, particularly at the time of greatest need. john

was born to make that kind of challenge. to defend and demonstrate the defining ideals of our nation. if we are ever tempted to forget who we are to be weary of our cause, john ‘s voice will always come at a whisper over our shoulder. we are better than this. america is better of this. john was a restless soul, he really did not glory in success oi’ he really did not glory in success or wall and feel your. because he was always onto the next thing. friends said he cannot stay in the same experience. one of his books ended with the words, "and i moved on."john has moved on. he would probably not want us to dwell on it, but we are better for his presence among us. but we are better for his presence among us. the world a smallerfor his departure. and we will remember him as he was, unwavering, and then, unequal.

applause that was george w bush, the 43rd president, 72 years old. former president of the us paying tribute to senatorjohn mccain. the man you see standing up, the next gentleman to take to the pulpit to pay tribute to john gentleman to take to the pulpit to pay tribute tojohn mccain at the request, of course, of senatorjohn mccain, that these two former opponent ‘s give eulogies at this memorial service. that is barack obama. tojohn's to john's beloved tojohn's beloved family, mrs

mccain, to cindy and the children, president bush, president clinton, vice president, mrs biden and as john would say, my friends. we come to celebrate an extraordinary man. a warrior. a statesman.