>> for mccain, it was his duty. the p.o.w.s code of conduct called for release in th order of capture. there was dozens ahead of mccain. >> there was a correlation between my refusal to accept early release and my treatment. the treatment got very much worse. >> what followed was months of non-stop beatings, hanging from his wrists, solitary confinement. at one point, mccain says he was even beaten by ten guards at a time. >> his fellow prisoners literally had to feed him, right? >> they did. they had to bathe him, cleanse him, help him to survive the things that you would have to do in a hospital for someone near death with a bucket of water and maybe a sponge. >> by august 1968, mccain couldn't take it anymore. >> he signed a statement that he