On 7/5/05 this was posted on leathernecks.com, a Marine Corp community for USMC veterans:
Department of the Navy Announces the Death of Retired Vice Adm. James B. Stockdale
Retired Navy Vice Adm. James B. Stockdale, Medal of Honor recipient, former Viet Nam prisoner of war (POW), naval aviator and test pilot, academic, and American hero died today, July 5, 2005, at his home in Coronado, Calif. He was 81 years old and had been battling Alzheimer’s disease.
Born Dec. 23, 1923 in Abingdon, Ill., and a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy Class of 1947, he is best remembered for his extraordinary leadership as the senior naval officer held in captivity during the Vietnam War. As commanding officer of Carrier Air Group Sixteen flying from the aircraft carrier the USS Oriskany, he was shot down while leading a mission Sept. 9, 1965.
During his 7½-year imprisonment, he was tortured numerous times, forced to wear vise-like heavy leg irons for two years and spent four years in solitary confinement. While imprisoned, he organized the prisoner culture in defiance of regulations forbidding prisoner communication and improvised a cohesive set of rules governing prisoner behavior. Codified in the acronym, BACK U.S. (Unity over Self), these rules gave prisoners a sense of hope, which many credited with giving them the strength to endure their ordeal.
Upon his release in 1973, Stockdale’s extraordinary heroism became widely known and he was awarded the Medal of Honor in 1976. A portion of his citation reads:
“Stockdale…deliberately inflicted a near mortal wound to his person in order to convince his captors of his willingness to give up his life rather than capitulate. He was subsequently discovered and revived by the North Vietnamese who, convinced of his indomitable spirit, abated their employment of excessive harassment and torture of all prisoners of war.”
“Vice Adm. Jim Stockdale’s legendary leadership and heroic service to the cause of freedom has been an inspiration to our nation,” said Secretary of the Navy Gordon England. “His courage and life stand as timeless examples of the power of faith and the strength of the human spirit. Our thoughts are with his devoted family. America and our Navy are eternally grateful and will always remember him.”
Upon his retirement from naval service, the secretary of the Navy established the Vice Admiral Stockdale Award for Inspirational Leadership presented annually in both Pacific and Atlantic Fleets. Stockdale held 26 combat awards including two Distinguished Flying Crosses, three Distinguished Service Medals, two Purple Hearts and four Silver Star Medals. He is a member of the Navy’s Carrier Hall of Fame, The National Aviation Hall of Fame and an Honorary Fellow of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots. He held 11 honorary doctoral degrees.
“Our Navy is saddened by the loss of Vice Adm. James B. Stockdale, a giant among heroes and a patriarch of ethical leadership,” said Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Vern Clark. “Adm. Stockdale challenged the human limits of moral courage, physical endurance and intellectual bravery, emerging victorious as a legendary beacon for all to follow. Our thoughts and prayers are with Sybil, his devoted partner in love and life, and the rest of the Stockdale family.”
Stockdale will be honored at a memorial service on board the USS Ronald Reagan in his hometown of Coronado, Calif. The service will take place Saturday, July 16. He will be buried with full honors at the U.S. Naval Academy Saturday, July 23. He is survived by his beloved wife Sybil of Coronado, Calif., and his four sons: James of Beaver, Pa.; Sidney of Albuquerque, N.M.; Stanford of Denver, Colo.; Taylor of Claremont, Calif.; and eight grandchildren.
Stockdale’s biography and additional photos are located on the following Web site: http://www.admiralstockdale.com .
Jim Collins wrote a business book, “Good to Great.” In it he interviewed Admiral Stockdale about his POW experience. Collins called the man’s philosophy the Stockdale Paradox: “You must never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end — which you can never afford to lose — with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be.”
Sadly, this picture more depicts the public notion of the man more than the other photos. During the vice-presidential candidate debates he stumbled and appeared quite stupid. He wasn’t stupid. But with his hearing aid turned off he remarked during one debate, “Who am I? And why am I here?” From there his legacy – among those who didn’t know better – grew into a Saturday Night Live skit and water cooler jokes. He was perceived as the dunce of dunces. Of course, he was not a dunce at all. But few knew. Presidential politics was hard at work again – creating notions that may not be honest or correct.
That is why I bring up James Stockdale today. He died almost 3 years ago and still few realize the history of the Admiral. This election year is full of similar perceptions. I don’t claim to know what’s right. Or what is true. And I’m not politically motivated. I do however know – and better understand (thanks to what happened to Admiral Stockdale) – that what we see and hear is not always true or correct. Indeed, during Presidential elections (and all the campaigning) – things are not always as they appear. People aren’t always as they seem.
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Thank you. My girlfriend and I are sitting watching the SNL Presidential bash 2008 and saw one of the skits that was widely publicized during the 92 campaign. We couldn’t remember the name of Perot’s running mate and did a quick search. While I enjoy the humor of SNL it is important to keep things in perspective. I am grateful to have read your piece and learned more about a truly great American. Thanks again.