Photo of young John McCain goes viral

After the tragic news broke that Republican Senator John McCain had been diagnosed with brain cancer, an outpour of support for him and his family has been tremendous, with Republicans and Democrats alike sending their well wishes.

Now, a picture of a young McCain has gone viral with people calling him an American hero.

The photo which has gone viral on Reddit was taken in 1965 when McCain was just 29 years old and shows the veteran with his squadron and a T-2 Buckeye trainer.

It was taken two years before he was captured and forced to spend five and a half years in captivity as a POW in North Vietnam.