Was John McCain a hero? Think twice.

When I turn my TV on US news these days, it is mostly about Jon McCain’s death. RIP. I honestly appreciated his work as a senator and his standings when he run for the US president. I honestly do. Remarkable.
 
But for me he was not a hero. I hate war, and if you read my books you will see it plain and simple. As a pilot John McCain’s jet fighter dropped bombs over populated areas, killing people, good and bad. He truly believed he served his country and when he became a POW he showed what he is made of; but still not a hero. Killing people in the name of an idea is not hero. Those sending people to fight take advantage of their credulity. Just think of Trump who found a way to cheat the system and avoid going for fight in Vietnam, then mocked John McCain when he run for president. These are the very bad guys (Trump-like guys), soldiers like McCain are just silly pawns.
 
I will give you some examples. If you visit Mongolia you will see Genghis Khan statues in the most visible places, the biggest national hero. But he killed millions to fulfill his maniacal dream; starting from nothing he built the biggest empire existing on Earth before him. Is he a hero or a monster? Depends who you ask. Same for Alexander the Great, Napoleon, and believe it or not there are many considering Stalin and Hitler as heroes.
 
Killing people under the umbrella of an ideology, political differences, religion intolerance, cultural or language differences is still a murder, not punished by rules of law, because the rulers use the means of war for their advantage, and they make the rules.   
 
Question: What US president prolonged a war only to win re-election?
Hint: we talk about the same Vietnam war.