While flying his twenty-third bombing mission over Hanoi in North Vietnam, Lieutenant Commander McCain's A-4E Skyhawk was shot down by a missile. McCain fractured both arms and a leg when he ejected from the aircraft and nearly drowned after he parachuted into Trúc Bạch Lake. North Vietnamese soldiers pulled him ashore, bayoneted him, and crushed his shoulder with a rifle butt. McCain was then transported to Hanoi's main Hỏa Lò Prison, nicknamed the "Hanoi Hilton", where he was held prisoner and repeatedly tortured for five years. He was awarded the Purple Heart with one Gold star. -This narrative was researched and written by Hall of Honor staff.