Aug. 29 (UPI) — Late Sen. John McCain‘s casket arrived at the Arizona State Capitol on Wednesday morning, where friends, family and colleagues memorialized “Arizona’s favorite adopted son.”
The longtime senator will lie in state in the building Wednesday before a service at North Phoenix Baptist Church on Thursday. His casket was brought into the state capitol amid a procession of veterans, military service members, law enforcement and first responders.
There was a private ceremony beginning at 10 a.m.
Among those speaking were Gov. Doug Ducey, Sen. Jeff Flake, former Sen. Jon Kyl and former Rep. Jim Kolbe, all Republicans from Arizona.
“John McCain was Arizona’s favorite adopted son,” Ducey said.
He said imagining the state without McCain was like imagining the state without the Grand Canyon, ABC News reported.
“It’s just not natural.”
Kyl, who said he traveled around the world with McCain, said his longtime colleague “represented our values.”
“America is stronger for his fierce defense of its values.”
McCain died Saturday, 13 months after doctors diagnosed him with what he described as a “very vicious” form of brain cancer.
On Monday, his family released the senator’s final statement, saying he was proud to serve the United States both in the military and in public office.
“‘Fellow Americans’ — that association has meant more to me than any other. I have lived and died a proud American,” he wrote.
After McCain’s body is flown to Washington, he will lie in state in the Capitol Rotunda on Friday. His private funeral will take place at the Washington National Cathedral Saturday and burial for the former Naval pilot will be held in Annapolis, Md., Sunday.
Former Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama will give eulogies at his funeral in Washington. McCain also asked Vice President Mike Pence to attend, but didn’t want President Donald Trump to be there.
