 McCain underwent three operations and other treatment for his injuries , spending three months at the Naval Regional Medical Center in Jacksonville . Psychological tests , given to all the returning POWs , showed that McCain had " adjusted exceptionally well to repatriation " and had " an ambitious , striving , successful pattern of adjustment " . McCain told examiners that he withstood his ordeal by having " Faith in country , United States Navy , family , and God " . Unlike many veterans , McCain did not experience flashbacks or nightmares of his Vietnam experience , although due to the association with prison guards , the sound of keys rattling would cause him to " tense up " . 
