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Born: December 23, 1923
(Abingdon, Ill.)
Entered Service:
Abingdon, Ill.
Branch: U.S.
Navy
Duty: Vietnam
War
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Medal
of Honor:
Portraits of Valor
Beyond the Call to Duty |
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[Purchase
Medal of Honor: Portraits of Valor Beyond
the Call to Duty]
Since the Civil War, more than 39 million
men and women have answered the call to serve.
Of those, 3,440 served with such uncommon
valor and extraordinary courage that they
were presented with the Medal of Honor, the
nation's highest military award. In this collection,
more than one hundred of America's living
Medal of Honor recipients are honored. Their
tales of bravery are recounted by best-selling
author Peter Collier, and also feature portraits
by award-winning photographer Nick Del Calzo.
More
Medal of Honor Profiles
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Hoa Lo prison, Hanoi , North Vietnam , 4 Sept. 1969
James B. Stockdale
Rear Admiral (then Captain), USN |
Article Courtesy of DefenseWatch
Citation: For conspicuous 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 Adm. 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 Adm. 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 Adm. Stockdale's valiant leadership and extraordinary courage in a hostile environment sustain and enhance the finest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service.
Editor's Note: Retired Vice Adm. James B. Stockdale died at the age of 81 on Tuesday, July 5, 2005 , following a long illness. He is survived by his wife, Sybil; four sons, James, Sidney, Stanford and Taylor; and eight grandchildren. The New York Times on July 6 published this obituary article on the Medal of Honor recipient.
© 2005 DefenseWatch.
All opinions expressed in this article are the author's and do not
necessarily reflect those of Military.com.
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