Americans bid John McCain solemn farewell with US Capitol honour

Americans paid their final respects Friday to John McCain as the national icon lay in state in the US Capitol as part of a momentous sendoff for the war hero and statesmanMcCains widow Cindy his seven children and his 106yearold mother Roberta McCain joined scores of members of Congress state governors diplomats and other dignitaries to bid the senator farewell President Donald Trump who had feuded bitterly with McCain was notably absent from the somber ceremony in the Capitol Rotunda an honour accorded to just 30 Americans throughout the nations historyThe last visit to Washington by McCain who died last Saturday at age 81 after a yearlong battle with cancer is being spread out over two days with former presidents George W Bush and Barack Obama to eulogise him during a memorial service Saturday at the citys National CathedralJust before 1100 am 1500 GMT Friday a military honour guard carried the flagdraped casket up the Capitol stairs moving one deliberate step at a time while inside the Rotunda darksuited mourners stood at silent attention The silverhaired Roberta McCain whose presence was only confirmed on the eve of the ceremony appeared composed as she drew near her sons casket in a wheelchair making the sign of the cross on her chestSeated beside her granddaughter Meghan McCain she held the young womans hand and appeared to comfort her as she wept Vice President Mike Pence who represented Trump at the ceremony began his tribute with an address to McCains family and particularly his motherIt is deeply humbling to stand before you today at the United States Capitol to commemorate the life and service of an American patriot senator John McCain Pence said The president asked me to be here on behalf of a grateful nation to pay a debt of honour and respect to a man who served our country throughout his life in uniform and in public officeIt was an awkward message to deliver from a president who has studiously refrained from praising McCain either during his illness or since his death Guests included former secretary of state Henry Kissinger riding in a wheelchair at age 95 the actor Warren Beatty a McCain friend and former senator Joe Lieberman who in 2008 McCain came close to naming as his running mateThe former aviator spent more than five years in a Vietnamese prison camp returning home to launch a political career that saw him win the Republican presidential nomination in 2008 He will be buried on Sunday at the US Naval Academy in Annapolis Maryland The funeral services were planned in advance by McCain who made clear the US president was not welcome in what was seen as a final rebuke to TrumpTheir feud took root during Trumps 2016 campaign when he questioned the notion McCain was a war hero because he had been captured after his navy fighter jet was shot down over Hanoi in 1967 The enmity was clear in the fracas this week over whether the White House would keep its flags at half staff in McCains honor which Trump finally agreed to do under heavy pressure from politicians veterans groups and reportedly his own aides McCain meanwhile took a final swipe at Trump in a farewell message to the nation delivered posthumously on Monday warning not to confuse our patriotism with tribal rivalries The president was unusually quiet in the White House on Friday not tweeting during the McCain ceremony then departing for a political event in North CarolinaWhile Trump stayed away Pence was joined by Defence Secretary Jim Mattis National Security Advisor John Bolton and Attorney General Jeff Sessions Thousands of people queued outside for hours many holding umbrellas to shield themselves from the sun waiting their chance to honour a patriotUS Capitol staff confirmed that as of 2200 GMT Friday more than 10000 people walked through the Rotunda to view McCains casket I wanted to pay my respects to John McCain Mike Holy a Vietnam war veteran sporting a Hillary Clinton button told AFP as he waited in a line that snaked down the streetHoly 67 is a Democrat but felt compelled to vote for McCain in 2008 and he sides with the senator in not inviting Trump to the funeral remembrances I think McCain was expressing a legitimate view that he did not want somebody who is for the most part all fluff and no substance he said McCains remains were flown by military aircraft to Washington Thursday from Arizona which he had represented in Congress since his first election in 1982Catch up on all the latest Crime National International and Hatke news here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updatesThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever