McCain Global Leaders holding a wreath-laying ceremony at Trúc Bạch Lake in Hanoi in May 2025
WASHINGTON, D.C. (July 11, 2025) – The McCain Institute at Arizona State University (ASU) today commemorates 30 years of normalized relations between the United States and Vietnam, a policy position championed by Senator John McCain following his five and a half years as a prisoner of war (POW) in Hanoi, Vietnam.
John McCain, a Navy pilot, was flying his 23rd mission on October 26, 1967, when he was shot down over Hanoi, Vietnam. He was held for over five years in Hoa Lo Prison, nicknamed the “Hanoi Hilton” by American POWs. During his captivity, his captors learned his father was a high-ranking officer in the U.S. Navy and offered him an early release, but he refused, citing the military Code of Conduct. He was released from captivity on March 14, 1973, and was awarded the Silver Star, Bronze Star, Purple Heart, and Distinguished Flying Cross for his service.
Senator McCain began to set the groundwork for normalizing relations with Vietnam in 1993, telling President Bill Clinton, “It doesn’t matter to me anymore who was for the war and who was against it. I’m tired of looking back in anger, and I’m tired of America looking back in anger. It’s time to put the past behind us, Mr. President, and do what’s right for both countries.”
Senator McCain worked with Senator John Kerry, a fellow Vietnam veteran to resolve the fate of prisoners of war and those missing in action in Vietnam. The two came together despite differing opinions on the Vietnam War. Secretary Kerry commented, “John McCain showed all of us how to bridge the divide between a protester and a POW, and how to find common ground even when it was improbable. John McCain was an American original—guts, grit, and ultimately grace personified.”
In a May 1995 op-ed in The Washington Post, Senator McCain advocated for normalized relations with Vietnam, citing the balance of power in the region shifting towards China, and calling for an economically viable Vietnam. On July 11, 1995, President Clinton announced diplomatic relations with Vietnam with Senator McCain at his side.
Senator McCain returned to Vietnam and the Hoa Lo Prison many times after his release, including with his son Jack McCain just before the 25th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War in April 2000, to share how the two countries could reconcile and begin a new relationship.
“My father didn’t allow the past to dictate the future—he saw the potential for a strong relationship between the United States and Vietnam and worked to heal deep wounds,” said McCain Institute Board Member and Blue Sky CEO Jack McCain. “Normalized relations between our two countries paved the way for Vietnam to become the essential economic partner it is today.”
“Senator McCain moved on past the incredible personal hardships he faced as a prisoner of war to ultimately establish a new relationship between the United States and Vietnam—it’s one of the many indelible marks he left on history,” said McCain Institute Executive Director Dr. Evelyn Farkas. “At the McCain Institute we honor John McCain’s legacy of fighting for a cause greater than oneself and our McCain Global Leaders program inspires future generations of leaders to do the same.”
Each year, the McCain Institute’s McCain Global Leaders (MGL) finish their fellowship in Vietnam. They retrace the steps of Senator McCain, visiting the Hoa Lo Prison and volunteering at local nonprofits to understand peace and reconciliation as part of their leadership journey. MGL Assistant Director Scott Nemeth recently spoke with Việt Nam News about the 30 years of normalized relations and Senator McCain’s pivotal role in advancing reconciliation.
Learn more about the MGLs most recent visit to Vietnam in May 2025 HERE.
Click here to watch a video about Senator McCain’s legacy in Vietnam.
About the McCain Institute at Arizona State University
The McCain Institute is a nonpartisan organization inspired by Senator John McCain and his family’s dedication to public service. We are part of Arizona State University and based in Washington, D.C. Our programs defend democracy, advance human rights and freedom, and empower character-driven leaders. Our unique power to convene leaders across the global political spectrum enables us to make a real impact on the world’s most pressing challenges. Our goal is action, not talk, and like Senator McCain, we are fighting to create a free, safe, and just world for all.
About Arizona State University
Arizona State University has developed a new model for the American research university, creating an institution that is committed to access, excellence and impact. ASU measures itself by those it includes, not by those it excludes. As the prototype for a New American University, ASU pursues research that contributes to the public good, and ASU assumes major responsibility for the economic, social and cultural vitality of the communities that surround it.