Senator John McCain at the World Affairs Council of Philadelphia

John McCain, long-serving United States Senator from Arizona, former presidential candidate, and decorated Navy veteran held in captivity in Viet Nam for five and a half years, joins Council members and guests to present the stories of Americans at war through the personal accounts of thirteen remarkable soldiers who fought in major military conflicts from the Revolutionary War of 1776 to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

A member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and a long-time student of history, Senator McCain brings a distinctive perspective to this subject. Thirteen Soldiers tells the stories of real soldiers who personify valour, obedience, enterprise, and love. From their acts of self-sacrifice to their astonishing bravery, these thirteen men and women – and certainly Senator McCain himself - embody the best America has to offer.