This web page is dedicated to
Medal of Honor holder
Vice Admiral James Bond
Stockdale, U.S.N. (retired).
Admiral Stockdale (then a Commander), was the Commander of Carrier Air Wing 16, on board the carrier
USS Oriskany (CVA-34), when he flew on a mission with Attack Squadron 163 on September 9, 1965.
On that mission, Commander Stockdale's A-4E Skyhawk, BuNo. 151134, was hit by enemy AAA fire and he was
forced to eject from the aircraft over enemy territory. He was captured by the North Vietnamese and imprisoned
for 7˝ years, during which he suffered hideous torture, horrible abuse, debasement, and starvation.
Promoted to the rank of Captain in absentia while a Prisoner of War, Stockdale was released from captivity
at war's end in early 1973. Subsequently, he was promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral, and then to Vice Admiral,
the rank in which he retired from active duty. In 1992, Admiral Stockdale was a candidate for Vice-President of
the United States of America.
- Rank and organization: Rear Admiral (then Captain), of U.S. Navy Attack Squadron 163,
operating from the USS Oriskany (CVA-34)
- Place and date: Hoa Lo prison, Hanoi, North Vietnam, 3 September 1969
- Entered Service at: Abingdon, Illinois
- Born: 23 December 1923, Abingdon, Illinois
Citation:
For conspicous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the
call of duty while senior naval officer in the Prisoner of War camps of North Vietnam.
Recognized by his captors as the leader in the Prisoners' of War resistance
to interrogation and in their refusal to participate in propaganda exploitation,
Rear Admiral Stockdale was singled out for interrogation and attendant torture
after he was detected in a covert communications attempt.
Sensing the start of another purge, and aware that his earlier efforts at self disfiguration
to dissuade his captors from exploiting him for propaganda purposes had resulted in cruel
and agonizing punishment, Rear Admiral Stockdale resolved to make himself a symbol of
resistance regardless of personal sacrifice. He 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 in their employment of excessive harassment and
torture toward all of the Prisoners of War.
By his heroic action, at great peril to himself, he earned the everlasting gratitude of
his fellow prisoners and of his country. Rear Admiral Stockdale's valiant leadership and
extraordinary courage in a hostile environment sustain and enhance the finest traditions
of the U.S. Naval Service.
Retired VADM James B. Stockdale passed away July 6, 2005.
NAS North Island Memorial
Official Site for Admiral Stockdale.
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