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Picture of Weatherman1956
Location: Where America's day begins.
Registered: 08 March 2005
Posts: 1003
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Passing of a Great man...


quote:
ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Retired Navy Vice Adm. James Stockdale, one of the country's most decorated Vietnam war veterans and a one-time vice presidential candidate, was buried Saturday at the Naval Academy.

About 500 people, including several Medal of Honor recipients and former prisoners of war, attended the funeral for Stockdale, who died on July 5 at his home in Coronado, Calif. Stockdale, who suffered from Alzheimer's disease, was 81.

For 7 1/2 years, Stockdale was a POW at the infamous "Hanoi Hilton" prison, four of those years spent in solitary confinement; on several occasions, he was singled out for torture.

He received the Medal of Honor in 1976 for his resistance, which included beating himself in the face with a wooden stool so he would be too disfigured for the North Vietnamese to display on television.

"His resistance has become an example, a legend and a model" for young officers, said retired Adm. William J. Crowe Jr., a former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and a friend of Stockdale's. "His captors soon learned they were dealing with a rather unusual man."

The 12 honorary pall bearers included Arizona Sen. John McCain, also a Naval Academy graduate and POW during the Vietnam War, and Texas billionaire Ross Perot, a third-party presidential candidate who chose Stockdale as his running mate during his run on the White House in 1992.

Stockdale's family recalled him as a warm, caring person. At the grave, after a 21-gun salute, the playing of "Taps," and a fly-over by four F-18 Super Hornet jets in the "missing man" formation, Stockdale's widow, Sybil, leaned forward in her wheelchair and placed a red rose on her husband's cherry casket.

Stockdale studied philosophy at Stanford University after graduating from the Naval Academy in 1947, and he often said that thinking about the writings of the Stoic philosopher Epictetus helped him survive captivity.

After retiring from the Navy, Stockdale served as president of the Military College of South Carolina, also known as the Citadel.

He is also survived by four sons and eight grandchildren.


http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/news/state/12207506.htm
Picture of patoloco
Location: Arizona
Registered: 08 May 2005
Posts: 1785
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I had the great pleasure of interviewing several former POW's for historical research projects. I never did get the honor of interviewing him, however. Every man who had contact with this man had nothing but the most commendable things to say about his courage and leadership. He was probably the most respected man in the Hanoi Prison system (I refuse to say Hanoi Hilton- his leadership was sought for and obeyed throughout the entire region- not just this prison). Even when he was isolated in a separate facility (with seven other "trouble-makers"), he was able to communicate and lead the resistance of the prisoners in all prison facilities in the Hanoi area.
Picture of Weatherman1956
Location: Where America's day begins.
Registered: 08 March 2005
Posts: 1003
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Perot for President...intrested me a great deal.
Mostly for his actions on behalf of Americans 'overseas' (MIA's; Hostages; etc.)
and for having Vice Adm. James Stockdale as a running mate.

I wanted to send Adm. Stockdale an old British Navy Book I'd found in Galveston...but it got too much storm danage while in my hands...


Roll Eyes


Hafa Adai!
Location: NW New Mexico
Registered: 04 January 2005
Posts: 304
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I watched Adm. Stockdale's story of his time as a POW tonight on TV and everything he did to defend his fellow American POW's and keep the NVA from using him as Propganda realy showed what a true American Hero is.He realy deserved the Medal of Honor.I met a couple of these guys when I went to the Wall and they stand out above others I saw Stockdale but never met him.Rest in Peace Admiral.


DAMM THE TORPEDOES FULL SPEED AHEAD
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