Rep. Michael McCaul Inspired to Serve by WWII Hero Father | NTD’s Profiles of Service

In this episode of NTD’s “Profiles of Service,” we sit down with Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), a former federal prosecutor who has represented Texas’s District 10 for two decades. McCaul has been chairman of the House Foreign Affairs and Homeland Security committees.

As the son of a World War II fighter pilot, McCaul says he draws his inspiration from his father, who died when McCaul was 23. Learning about mortality at a young age had a profound impact and led to him making an important decision: “I was not going to live in the shadows. I was going to make something of this life, precious life that I have.”

Moreover, in thinking about his father and the contribution of that entire generation, McCaul says it shaped his mindset of asking, “What can I do to make it better for the next generation—because they did it for me.”

“Profiles of Service” is an NTD News series that features the men and women who have chosen to dedicate themselves to public service. At a time of low trust in the political process—according to a recent Gallup poll, 57 percent of the country has “very little” confidence in Congress—we launched the series as a way to get to know our elected officials on a different level. We ask them about the challenges and rewards of being in office, why public service matters, and what inspiration they can offer the next generation of potential leaders.