Records shed light on candidates' ancestors

Rodham was 62 when he filled out his card. He fell under the 1942 "old man's draft" of World War II requiring registration by men up to their mid-60s.

Such documents are already available to the public at the archives in Washington and some can be found on genealogy sites.

Now they are being made available as a massive collection by Ancestry.com, which has been transferring the National Archives records into digital form. People can search the online military records, some of which have been available for several years, for free through May 31. After that, a paid subscription will be required.

A look at the three men:

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INHERIT THE WINDBAG

In 1910, John Sidney McCain, the roughhewn son of a Mississippi sheriff, was stationed aboard the USS Washington in Puget Sound, Wash., when the census man came calling. The first of three John McCains was on his way to a legendary career.

Slew had a herky-jerky gait and a high-strung and fidgety nature; his words were plagued by whistles from his false teeth, describes Robert Timberg in "John McCain: An American Odyssey."

He was ranked a lowly 79 out of 116 at the Naval Academy, the first of three John McCains who distinguished themselves in the Navy despite mediocre academy marks.

Current Biography called Slew "one of the Navy's best plain and fancy cussers."