Chapters 19-24 Summary and Analysis

In Chapter 19, after months of leniency, the Vietnamese deemed John strong enough for an interrogation. He was asked if he wanted to go home, and John replied that he would not go home out of turn. What he didn't realize at that point was that his father was about to assume command in the war effort as Commander-in-Chief, Pacific. The Vietnamese had planned to use his release for propaganda tied to the event, shaming his father.

Chapter 20 highlighted the Code of Conduct for American Prisoners of War. It offered the history of the Code, and detailed six parts of it. McCain lived in trepidation for a couple of months, knowing that his life was going to be more difficult after his refusal to be released. In late August, the Vietnamese began beating him seriously. Things got so bad that...