[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 12]
[House]
[Pages 16725-16726]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   TRIBUTE TO ADMIRAL JAMES STOCKDALE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Hunter) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. HUNTER. Mr. Speaker, I rose with my colleague the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Cunningham) a few minutes ago to talk a little bit 
about Admiral Jim Stockdale, a Medal of Honor winner; Jim Stockdale, 
POW; Jim Stockdale, an overall great American, who passed away leaving 
a wonderful family, but leaving also a family of Americans, all those 
people who have flown aircraft in the skies of the world, projecting 
American air power and protecting American freedom.
  I thought it was appropriate that I stand here tonight talking about 
Jim Stockdale with another great Navy pilot, the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Cunningham), who on 10 May, 1972, south of Hanoi, was 
shot down by a SAM missile after he had shot down his third MiG. He 
ejected and, thankfully, was picked up by a Marine rescue helicopter 
and so therefore did not have to suffer the 7 years of imprisonment 
that Jim Stockdale suffered.
  I thought, Mr. Speaker, it would just be important for us to once 
again recognize this enormous hero of the United States, a leader, a 
hero, a great model for all of us and for all those fighting in the war 
against terror right now, a wonderful figure for us to emulate in terms 
of following duty, honor and country.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to my friend, the gentleman from California (Mr. 
Cunningham), and will listen to his memory of Jim Stockdale.
  Mr. CUNNINGHAM. I thank the gentleman from California (Chairman 
Hunter).
  Mr. Speaker, Admiral Stockdale died on July 5 of this year. Some 
people may not remember the name Admiral Stockdale, but millions of 
people watched as the TV program portrayed the book that he and his 
wife Sybil wrote called ``In Love and War.'' It told about the plight 
of our POWs and how their families suffered. Millions of people saw 
that.
  They also may remember that Admiral Stockdale was Ross Perot's 
running mate one year in an alternative party, and then the following 
year Admiral Stockdale supported John McCain in his run for presidency, 
also a prisoner with Admiral Stockdale himself.
  Admiral Stockdale was a prisoner for 7 years. He was awarded the 
Medal of Honor, not for just being a prisoner of war, but for his 
leadership and what he had to suffer through. He refused to capitulate 
to the enemy. That sounds like a big word, but not when you know what 
Admiral Stockdale went through.
  Admiral Stockdale was tortured because of his leadership and the 
communication system, the tap code that he set up for the other 
prisoners. He was tortured. His shoulders were ripped out of their 
sockets. For six months he was tortured until he was almost unable to 
speak.
  He was put in a cell then with our Member of Congress, Sam Johnson, 
who was a prisoner of war for 7 years. Admiral Stockdale through the 
tap code turned over the leadership of all the prisoners of war to then 
former Senator Jeremiah Denton. At that time, John McCain, Sam Johnson, 
Jeremiah Denton and Admiral Stockdale were responsible for the 
organization of all of our prisoners of war.
  Mr. HUNTER. Mr. Speaker, reclaiming my time, I thank the gentleman 
for laying out that great description of Admiral Stockdale. It has been 
repeated many times, but I thought one of the extraordinary 
circumstances, he was asked why he was able to be such a great leader, 
and he said he learned from his mother. He went to drama classes or 
helped her in little theatrical shows where she led local drama shows 
and he learned to act spontaneously and also to think quickly.
  I thought that was reflected when the North Vietnamese told him they 
were going to parade him, use him for television, and were going to put 
him out where he knew he would be used for propaganda purposes. He had 
a stool in

[[Page 16726]]

his cell. He tore it apart and took part of that stool and beat himself 
in the face with it until he was unrecognizable. What a surprise the 
North Vietnamese guards must have had when they came to take Admiral 
Stockdale from his cell for his TV appearance and he had beaten 
himself.
  Also when he saw that other prisoners had been tortured and were 
being tortured and some of them had been killed, and the Vietnamese 
were pressing him extremely hard, he took a razor and slit both of his 
wrists to show that he would rather die than break before his North 
Vietnamese captors.
  Part of that toughness he attributed to his commitment to his dad 
when he went off to the Naval Academy to be, as he said, ``the best 
midshipman ever.''

                              {time}  2000

  I thought I would mention that Admiral Stockdale, besides being 
survived by Sybil, a wonderful, wonderful lady who then started, while 
he was a POW, she started the League of American Families of Prisoners 
of War and MIAs and, at the same time, she raised four sons. Those four 
sons are James of Pennsylvania; Sydney, who is in New Mexico; Stanford 
of Denver, Colorado; and Taylor, who is living in Claremont, 
California, and, of course, Admiral Stockdale left eight grandchildren.
  Mr. Speaker, the gentleman who is talking with me, the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Cunningham), has won the Navy Cross, was nominated for 
the Congressional Medal of Honor and the recipient of many other combat 
ribbons, and the Purple Heart. But I have never seen a list of service 
decorations as extensive as Admiral Stockdale's, who had two 
Distinguished Flying Crosses, the Medal of Honor, three Distinguished 
Service Medals, two Purple Hearts and four Silver Stars, and was the 
only 3-star admiral in the history of the Navy to wear both aviator 
wings and the Medal of Honor.
  Interestingly, he went back, he wrote a number of books: ``The 
Vietnam Experience: 10 Years of Reflections and Thoughts of a 
Philosophical Fighter Pilot.'' So he continued to give to this country, 
I would say to my colleague, before I yield to him, he continued to 
give to this country after he came back the value of his philosophy, 
and it was that tough philosophy, that great patriotic philosophy that 
got him through these extraordinarily difficult times as a POW.

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