Presidential hopeful Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) won the endorsement of retired Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf as he speeds through north Florida to gather more support before the Sunshine State's primary on January 29.
"Stormin' Norman" is a retired four-star general and was the commander of 1991's Gulf War Coalition Forces. The General's claim to fame was his daily, televised press conferences illustrating the progress of the war. Schwarzkopf's plans for Operation Desert Storm scored a decisive victory over Saddam Hussein's Iraqi forces in just four days.
"Sen. John McCain has served our country with honor in war and in peace," Schwarzkopf said. "He has demonstrated the type of leadership our country sorely needs at this time. For that reason, he has my complete support."
Schwarzkopf's endorsement gives McCain an edge in Florida, a state where nearly half of its Republican primary electorate was, or is, a member of the armed forces. Having spent most of his time in north Florida for the past two days, McCain is quickly spreading his message of his extensive military experience and broad perspective on national security affairs.
McCain also lived in Jacksonville and Pensacola after returning from his five and a half years as a prisoner of war in North Vietnam. The candidate completed his flight training in Pensacola and commanded his flight squadron out of Jacksonville's air fields.
Schwarzkopf is not the only military veteran endorsing McCain. Sen. John Warner, the former Secretary of the Navy, and other former prisoners of war from Vietnam are campaigning independently for the senator, visiting military communities and the military reserves.
 |  |  |  |
