By Maria Polletta | USA TODAY NETWORK/ArizonaRepublic
John McCain chose the United States Naval Academy Cemetery as the place he will lay rest. He’ll lie next to his former classmate and lifelong best friend.
U.S. Sen. John McCain was a “giant” and “icon” whose passing creates a void “in the heart and soul of our nation,” Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey said in a statement Saturday.
Minutes after McCain’s death was announced, Ducey ordered all flags to be lowered to half-staff.
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“John McCain is one American who will never by forgotten,” the governor said. “But here at home, we were most proud to call him a fellow Arizonan. Like so many of us, he was not born here, but his spirit, service and fierce independence shaped the state with which he became synonymous.”
Ducey said McCain was “about more than politics,” rising above partisan squabbling to fight “for what he thought was right, even when it wasn’t popular.”
“His dogged patriotism and passion for country made him an inspiration, and a model, for all of us,” Ducey said.
The governor said he and his wife, Angela — who visited the senator in May — “join all Arizonans in praying for Cindy and the entire McCain family during this difficult time and offering our full support.”
“May his life and legacy continue to inspire us to build a future for this country, and a history for this country, that would make John McCain proud,” Ducey said.
