I first met the late Senator John McCain and his close colleague and friend Senator Phil Gramm in Washington, D.C. in the early 1990s, when I served as Special Representative of the Government of Sri Lanka under President Ranasinghe Premadasa.

My responsibilities required regular engagement with both the United States Senate and the House of Representatives. Although Senators McCain and Gramm were among the most respected and sought-after members of the Senate, they always found time to meet with me and discuss issues concerning Sri Lanka. At a difficult moment in our country’s relationship with Washington, their counsel and support proved invaluable.

I held both Senators in the highest regard. However, it was McCain’s independence of mind, unwavering sense of public duty, and moral courage that left a deep impression on me. He combined deeply held convictions with a rare willingness to work across political divides. Long before the term ‘maverick’ became inseparably associated with him, that was precisely what he was.

A commitment to democratic public life

When I entered active electoral politics in the early 2000s, I frequently invoked McCain’s belief that we should all dedicate ourselves to a cause greater than ourselves. It was more than a political slogan. It was a philosophy that guided his life, and one I sought to carry into my own public service.

With the encouragement of Senators McCain and Gramm, the personal interest of President Premadasa, and the support of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, I was able to assist the United National Party (UNP) in initiating the process of joining the International Democracy Union (IDU). As the global alliance of Centre-Right political parties, the IDU provided an important platform for strengthening the party’s international relationships.

Sometime after President Premadasa’s assassination, Senators McCain and Gramm visited Sri Lanka. During their trip, Wickremesinghe hosted a memorable barbecue dinner for them at his estate in Kuliyapitiya. Another informal moment came earlier that day, when Senator Gramm rode an elephant, an experience arranged by the late Ken Balendra, then Chairman of John Keells Holdings. 

The experience delighted the Senator, not least because the elephant is the symbol of the Republican Party. At the time, Senator Gramm was widely regarded as a serious contender for the Republican presidential nomination, and joked that he would use the photograph in his campaign.

Soon after I was elected to Parliament from Colombo, I visited Senator McCain in his Senate office during a trip to Washington. As we were talking, Senator Bob Dole, one of the Republican Party’s most distinguished and long-serving leaders, walked into the room and joined our conversation. A World War II veteran, he had been the Republican nominee for president a few years earlier. 

A photograph taken that day of the three of us together still occupies a special place in my office, reminding me of the privilege of spending time with two statesmen whose decency and contributions to American public life continue to command respect. After I became a Cabinet Minister, I had the opportunity to work more closely with Senator McCain in his capacity as Chairman of the International Republican Institute (IRI), where he championed democracy and political development around the world.

When the IDU published my collection of speeches, ‘A Warm Heart, A Cool Head, and A Deep Breath,’ Senator McCain personally wrote the book’s introduction and spoke at its launch. It remains one of the great honours of my political life. The launch was hosted and organised by the IRI in Washington, D.C. and attended by a distinguished gathering of American political leaders and friends. It was entirely characteristic of John McCain that he gave his time so generously to encourage others who believed in democratic public life.

A demonstration of true leadership 

For all his achievements and international stature, what impressed me most about McCain was his strength of character. The son and grandson of admirals, he nevertheless forged his own path through a life of military service. 

During the Vietnam War, he endured years of captivity as a prisoner of war, refusing an offer of early release that would have left his fellow prisoners behind. The physical effects of that ordeal remained with him for the rest of his life. 

Together with his lifelong readiness to place principle above political expediency, these experiences gave him a moral authority that extended well beyond party politics. He believed that public office was a trust, not an entitlement.

John McCain will rightly be remembered as one of America’s great senators. His life demonstrated that true leadership is measured not by the offices one holds, but by the values one upholds.

As the United States marks the 250th anniversary of its founding this year, it is fitting to remember public servants such as McCain, whose life reflected many of the enduring ideals upon which the American republic was built: courage, duty, integrity, and service. 

For me, John McCain was not only an American statesman whom I admired, but also one of the political leaders who most influenced my understanding of public service. His example remains as relevant today as it was when I first met him more than three decades ago: we should all dedicate ourselves to a cause greater than ourselves.

(The writer is the Founder of the Pathfinder Foundation)

(The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the official position of this publication)