--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: During one period while I was in…" description: "\"During one period while I was in solitary, I memorized the names of all 335 of the men who were then prisoners of war in North Vietnam. I can still rem..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/410/john-mccain-465_men_during-one-period-while-i-was-in-solitar_554635.png" --- # During one period while I was in solitary, I memorized the… ![“During one period while I was in solitary, I memorized the names of all 335 of the men who were then prisoners of war in North Vietnam. I can still remember them.” quote by John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/410/john-mccain-465_men_during-one-period-while-i-was-in-solitar_554635.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/410/john-mccain-465_men_during-one-period-while-i-was-in-solitar_554635.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/410/john-mccain-465_men_during-one-period-while-i-was-in-solitar_554635.png) > “During one period while I was in solitary, I memorized the names of all 335 of the men who were then prisoners of war in North Vietnam. I can still remember them.” [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He emphasizes the lasting impact of remembering each individual who suffered in war, underscoring personal connection to history. **In simple terms:** Remembering each soldier keeps their sacrifice alive. Key Takeaway Honor the memory of those who served. Themes memory war humanity remembrance Mood somber respectful Type historical inspirational When to use this quote - memorial services - veteran support - education curricula - personal reflection Key Concepts psychology historical empathy Questions to Reflect On - How does remembering each name affect you? - What role does personal memory play in collective history? A Different Perspective Memories can be painful and may hinder moving forward. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Memorized](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/memorized-603764/) [Memorized Names](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/memorized-names-4611031/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Prisoners War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prisoners-war-254280/) [Remember](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/remember/) [Solitary Memorized](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/solitary-memorized-4611029/) [Vietnam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vietnam/) [Vietnam Remember](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vietnam-remember-4611030/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [Who](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/who/) ## Related quotes > [“Wayne claimed to have memorized the names of all of the different possible combinations of Twinborn. Of course, Wayne also claimed to have once…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/wayne-claimed-to-have-memorized-the-names-of-all-of-the-different/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“the slaughterhouse where we had been locked up at night as prisoners of war.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/the-slaughterhouse-where-we-had-been-locked-up-at-night-as-prisoners/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“Childbirth is nothing compared to exercise, and Gary was a big baby. This is what they should do to prisoners of war when they’re…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecelia-ahern/childbirth-is-nothing-compared-to-exercise-and-gary-was-a-big-baby/) [Cecelia Ahern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cecelia-ahern/) > [“The organization of the camps in the east revealed a contempt for life, the life of Slavs and Asians and Jews anyway, that made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-snyder/the-organization-of-the-camps-in-the-east-revealed-a-contempt-for/) [Timothy Snyder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-snyder/) > [“In the winter of 1941 the German army succeeded in starving between 1.3 and 1.65 million Soviet prisoners of war to death.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-lowe/in-the-winter-of-1941-the-german-army-succeeded-in-starving-between-1/) [Keith Lowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-lowe/) > [Prisoner of War guard companies, or an equivalent organization, should be as far forward as possible in action to take over prisoners of war,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-s-patton/prisoner-of-war-guard-companies-or-an-equivalent-organization-should/) [George S. Patton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-s-patton/) > [The moment the first American soldier sets foot on the Japanese mainland, all prisoners of war will be shot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hideki-tojo/the-moment-the-first-american-soldier-sets-foot-on-the-japanese/) [Hideki Tojo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hideki-tojo/) > [“Beyond the deprivations, degradations, and tortures these prisoners endured, each man often recounts how he got to the camps Weller visited. These conflicts, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-weller/beyond-the-deprivations-degradations-and-tortures-these-prisoners/) [George Weller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-weller/) > [If you surrender you shall be treated as prisoners of war, but if I haveto storm your works you may expect no quarter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-bedford-forrest/if-you-surrender-you-shall-be-treated-as-prisoners-of-war-but-if-i/) [Nathan Bedford Forrest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-bedford-forrest/) > [“No one is my enemy or the Gospel's... just prisoners of war that Christ longs to set free.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-myers/no-one-is-my-enemy-or-the-gospel-s-just-prisoners-of-war-that-christ/) [Bill Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-myers/) > [The lives of prisoners of war after they are returned is almost never discussed, never explored.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gideon-raff/the-lives-of-prisoners-of-war-after-they-are-returned-is-almost-never/) [Gideon Raff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gideon-raff/) > [If we go to Chihuahua we must be considered as prisoners of war?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zebulon-pike/if-we-go-to-chihuahua-we-must-be-considered-as-prisoners-of-war/) [Zebulon Pike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zebulon-pike/) > [“At least 30,000, possibly more, German POWs may have died in French captivity, of starvation and malnutrition, of disease and neglect and mistreatment. Around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-taylor/at-least-30-000-possibly-more-german-pows-may-have-died-in-french/) [Frederick Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-taylor/) > [Everything I see is something I haven't memorized.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cage/everything-i-see-is-something-i-haven-t-memorized/) [John Cage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cage/) > [“Reading Myself" Like thousands I took just pride and more than just, struck matches that brought my blood to a boil; I memorized the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-lowell/reading-myself-like-thousands-i-took-just-pride-and-more-than-just/) [Robert Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-lowell/) ## More by John McCain > [I have the utmost confidence in General Mattis, General Flynn, General Kelly, Dan Coates. I couldn't have picked a better team. And so I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/i-have-the-utmost-confidence-in-general-mattis-general-flynn-general/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [Washington is a Hollywood for ugly people. Hollywood is a Washington for the simpleminded.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/washington-is-a-hollywood-for-ugly-people-hollywood-is-a-washington/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [I think that it's important that we understand the importance of the Hispanic vote in America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/i-think-that-it-s-important-that-we-understand-the-importance-of-the/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [ I will not agree to have this bill \[to repeal DADT \] go forward, because our economy is in the tank. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/i-will-not-agree-to-have-this-bill-to-repeal-dadt-go-forward-because/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [I don't know a politician who enjoys fundraising. The system is such that the American people have lost faith.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/i-don-t-know-a-politician-who-enjoys-fundraising-the-system-is-such/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [It is perhaps my greatest hope, Mr. President, that some day we'll consider tax and spending measures with no one else in mind but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/it-is-perhaps-my-greatest-hope-mr-president-that-some-day-we-ll/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [This kind of horror has become all too familiar to us. As parents, Cindy and I offer our prayers to the memory of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/this-kind-of-horror-has-become-all-too-familiar-to-us-as-parents/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [Thousands of Americans have given their lives in Afghanistan and Iraq upholding their oaths and defending this nation. Chelsea Manning broke her oath and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/thousands-of-americans-have-given-their-lives-in-afghanistan-and-iraq/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [The truth is sometimes a hard pill to swallow. It sometimes causes us difficulties at home and abroad. It is sometimes used by our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/the-truth-is-sometimes-a-hard-pill-to-swallow-it-sometimes-causes-us/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [Countries, not just their armies, win wars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/countries-not-just-their-armies-win-wars/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [My greatest fear is the Iranians acquire a nuclear weapon and give it to a terrorist organization. And there is a real threat of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/my-greatest-fear-is-the-iranians-acquire-a-nuclear-weapon-and-give-it/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [Presidential ambition is a disease that can only be cured by embalming fluid .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/presidential-ambition-is-a-disease-that-can-only-be-cured-by/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [3 "amnesty" didn't mean rewarding illegal behavior.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/3-amnesty-didn-t-mean-rewarding-illegal-behavior/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [On the subject of Osama bin Laden... we will track him down. We will capture him. We will bring him to justice, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/on-the-subject-of-osama-bin-laden-we-will-track-him-down-we-will/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [That's Joe Biden right there - unbowed, unbroken and unable to stop talking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/that-s-joe-biden-right-there-unbowed-unbroken-and-unable-to-stop/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) [Explore all 539 John McCain quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) ## More Men quotes > [When I passed the Chancellor he arose, waved his hand at me, and I waved back at him. I think the writers showed bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-owens/when-i-passed-the-chancellor-he-arose-waved-his-hand-at-me-and-i/) [Jesse Owens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-owens/) > [Life works most perfectly when a reciprocal love relationship is in place between man and God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-moore/life-works-most-perfectly-when-a-reciprocal-love-relationship-is-in/) [Beth Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-moore/) > [The man who can master his time can master nearly anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/the-man-who-can-master-his-time-can-master-nearly-anything/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [We do not want nowadays temples of worship and outward rites and ceremonies. What we really want is an Asram. We want a place…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rabindranath-tagore/we-do-not-want-nowadays-temples-of-worship-and-outward-rites-and/) [Rabindranath Tagore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rabindranath-tagore/) > [Before Noah, men having only water to drink, could not find the truth. Accordingly...they became abominably wicked, and they were justly exterminated by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/before-noah-men-having-only-water-to-drink-could-not-find-the-truth/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [Social responsibility above the level of family, or at most of tribe, requires imagination-- devotion, loyalty, all the higher virtues -- which a man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/social-responsibility-above-the-level-of-family-or-at-most-of-tribe/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Most celebrated men live in a condition of prostitution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-augustin-sainte-beuve/most-celebrated-men-live-in-a-condition-of-prostitution/) [Charles Augustin Sainte-Beuve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-augustin-sainte-beuve/) > [I cannot forbid a person to marry several wives, for it does not contradict Scripture. MARTIN LUTHER, letter to Chancellor Gregory Brück, January 13,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/i-cannot-forbid-a-person-to-marry-several-wives-for-it-does-not/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [Hats off to starting a franchise younger than we all did in 'Twilight' and keeping your cool. The 'Harry Potter' men and women had,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kellan-lutz/hats-off-to-starting-a-franchise-younger-than-we-all-did-in-twilight/) [Kellan Lutz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kellan-lutz/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [The prophet who fails to present a bearable alternative and yet preaches doom is part of the trap that he postulates. Not only does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/the-prophet-who-fails-to-present-a-bearable-alternative-and-yet/) [Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/) > [ That country \[Carthage\] was rapidly sinking into the state of barbarism from whence it had been raised by the Phoenician colonies and Roman laws;… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-gibbon/that-country-carthage-was-rapidly-sinking-into-the-state-of-barbarism/) [Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gibbon/) > [Nothing is so powerful as an insight into human nature... what compulsions drive a man, what instincts dominate his action. If you know these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-bernbach/nothing-is-so-powerful-as-an-insight-into-human-nature-what/) [William Bernbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-bernbach/) > [But we are convinced that if we are to play a meaningful role nationally, and in the community of nations, we must be second…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikram-sarabhai/but-we-are-convinced-that-if-we-are-to-play-a-meaningful-role/) [Vikram Sarabhai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikram-sarabhai/) > [“Every select man strives instinctively for a citadel and a privacy, where he is FREE from the crowd, the many, the majority-- where he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/every-select-man-strives-instinctively-for-a-citadel-and-a-privacy/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) [Browse all 84,229 Men quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "During one period while I was in solitary, I memorized the names of all 335 of the men who were then prisoners of war in North Vietnam. I can still remember them.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John McCain" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/during-one-period-while-i-was-in-solitary-i-memorized-the-names-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Men" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/during-one-period-while-i-was-in-solitary-i-memorized-the-names-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/410/john-mccain-465_men_during-one-period-while-i-was-in-solitar_554635.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/410/john-mccain-465_men_during-one-period-while-i-was-in-solitar_554635.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/410/john-mccain-465_men_during-one-period-while-i-was-in-solitar_554635.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“During one period while I was in solitary, I memorized the names of all 335 of the men who were then…” — John McCain", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "John McCain", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "During one period while I was...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/during-one-period-while-i-was-in-solitary-i-memorized-the-names-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/during-one-period-while-i-was-in-solitary-i-memorized-the-names-of/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```