Sen. John McCain will lie in state at the Arizona Capitol Wednesday; memorial Thursday

U.S. Sen. John McCain will lie in state at the Arizona Capitol on Wednesday, which would have been the senator’s 82nd birthday, Gov. Doug Ducey said Sunday morning.

“This is a rare and distinct occurrence for a truly special man,” the governor said in a statement posted on Twitter. “John McCain is Arizona, and we will honor his life every way we can.”

A private ceremony is scheduled for 10 a.m. Wednesday at the Capitol, 1700 W. Washington St. Ducey will speak at the event, as will former Sen. Jon Kyl, who served with McCain.

Public visitation will being at 2 p.m.

A memorial service will began at 10 a.m. Thursday at North Phoenix Baptist Church, 5757 N Central Ave. Limited public seating will be available. Tickets can be requested at johnmccain.com.

McCain will leave Arizona for the last time Thursday when his body is flown from the 161st Air Refueling Wing, a unit of the Arizona Air National Guard, at Goldwater Air National Guard Base at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport to the Joint Base Andrews military facility in Maryland.

He will lie in state at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Friday, an honor bestowed on only 31 people in 166 years.

He will then be taken from the U.S. Capitol to a second memorial at the Washington National Cathedral on Saturday at 10 a.m. McCain's family will make a brief stop at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial along the way.

The National Cathedral service will be limited to family, friends, congressional colleagues and staff, and U.S. and international leaders, according to McCain's website. The event will be streamed live.

McCain will return to the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, to be buried at the cemetery there Sunday after a private funeral.

McCain died Saturday at his family's home near Sedona after a 13-month battle with brain cancer. He was 81.

Ducey has declined to name a successor until after the late senator has been laid to rest. McCain's replacement would serve until the 2020 general election.

Senator #JohnMcCain will lie in state here at the Arizona Capitol this Wednesday -- his birthday. This is a rare and distinct occurrence for a truly special man. John McCain is Arizona, and we will honor his life every way we can. — Doug Ducey (@dougducey) August 26, 2018

John McCain: The life of an American political giant Sen. John McCain, 1936-2018, was Arizona's senator for more than three decades and twice ran for president.

USA Today contributed to this article.

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