Coco Solo, birthplace of the late Senator John McCain
Today, in honor of the late Sen. John McCain’s funeral services, we’re sharing some photos of Coco Solo from our collections.
Sen. McCain was born in the United States Navy submarine base and naval air station on August 29, 1936 to the naval officer John S. “Jack” McCain Jr. and Roberta (Wright) McCain. His grandfather, John S. “Slew” McCain, was the base commander at Coco Solo when Sen. McCain was born.
The McCain family is well known for their military history. Sen. McCain’s father and grandfather were the first father and son in Navy history to become full admirals. Sen. McCain graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1958 and became a naval aviator. He retired from the Navy as a captain in 1981, moving to Arizona where he entered politics.
Any information or memories about the McCain family you would like to share in the comments section are welcome.
6 Comments
Frank Townsend
Since McCain was born on the Atlantic side, he’s a true “Gold Coaster”
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Ray Crucet
Many of us who grew up in the Panama Canal Zone have the honor of sharing a few of our tender years in Paradise with John McCain. When he was born (1936) at Coco Solo Naval Air Station on the Atlantic side of the Panama Canal Zone, Myself, (a 3 year old brat) and my family, were living just a few miles away across the Mananillo Bay in Cristobal. I never met him…it’s just nice to know we both became mavericks and veterens starting out in this crazy world from the same place.
Robert W. Fuller
John McCain was not born at Coco Solo where his father was stationed as there was no hospital there. He was born at Gorgas Hospital in Ancon,Canal Zone.
Bob Dillon
According to the John McCain birth certificate that is available to be viewed online, he was born at Colon Hospital in Cristobal, Canal Zone, USA, to the best of my knowledge run by the Panama Railroad Company also known as the Government of the United States of America. Any assertion that he was born in Kenya is patently false.
Kevin Davidson
The McCain “birth certificate” showing McCain born in Colon came from Fred Hollander as an exhibit in the Hollander v. McCain lawsuit, not from John McCain. It’s a crude forgery and you can even see where some of the original content was whited out. John McCain never released his birth certificate, but a staffer showed it to one Journalist, Michael Dobbs at the Washington Post, who published the account in an article titled “Citizen McCain” at the Post on May 2, 2008, saying that the “document records his birth in the Coco Solo ‘family hospital’.”
Sandra A Dunlap
My great great uncle was stationed on shore duty (both the air station and sub base), the submarine S-47 (SS-158) and Eagle class patrol boats(PE-19 and PE-31) out of Coco Solo in the 1920s. he was a GM1 converted to TM1