"The America of John McCain," she declared with a steely stare, "has no need to be made great again because America was always great."

The audience of Washington's military, civilian and other leaders burst into applause.

With that, McCain's family, including his 106-year-old mother, Roberta, is escorting his remains to Annapolis on Sunday.

McCain's choice of burial location was as deliberate as the other details of his procession. He picked the historic site overlooking the Severn River over the grandeur of Arlington National Cemetery, where his father and grandfather, both admirals, are buried. Larson, McCain's beloved friend from their Class of 1958, had reserved four plots at the storied cemetery two for McCain and himself, and two for their wives, now widows. Larson died in 2014, and McCain wrote in his recent memoir that he wanted to be buried next to his friend, "near where it began".

AP - Reuters