An emotional John McCain took to the Senate floor this afternoon to eulogize retired Air Force Colonel George “Bud” Day, who spent five and a half years as a POW in Vietnam with McCain at the Hoa Lo Prison.

Day had a decorated military career — including a Medal of Honor for escaping his captors after his aircraft was shot down — while serving in World II, Korea, and Vietnam. While a prisoner of war at the infamous “Hanoi Hilton,” Day was subjected to torture; after being hung by his arms for days at a time, Day’s arms and hands never properly worked again.

After his release, he retired to Florida where he practiced law and became a champion of veterans’ health-care benefits. Day was 88.