WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Sen. John McCain's, R-Arizona, presidential campaign is marking the 30th anniversary of his release from a North Vietnamese prison by telling the tale of his imprisonment through interviews posted on his exploratory committee website.

The campaign has posted a video on its Website chronicling McCain's five-year experience in the prison, including interviews with his mother, Roberta, fellow POW's Paul Galanti and Orson Swindle, and McCain himself.

In a letter to supporters, Swindle wrote, "As our country battles a new kind of evil and our fighting men and women take the battle to the terrorist, making incredible sacrifices in their efforts, I think back to those days in Hanoi, back to the experiences that have shaped my life ever since."

"My friend, John, has been tested through circumstance and fire, has met the challenge, and he is prepared to lead America in difficult times ahead," he added.

In a speech on the Senate floor Wednesday, McCain did not mention the anniversary but said the U.S. will not be able to "walk away" from Iraq as it did from Vietnam

"We were able to walk away from Vietnam," he said. If we walk away from Iraq we risk a failed country in the heart of the Middle East, an invitation to regional war in this economically vital area, and a humanitarian disaster that could involve millions of people."