James Stockdale

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At a Glance

U.S. trooops of the 7th. and 9th. divisions wade through marshland during a joint operation on South Vietnam's Mekong Delta, April 1967.

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James Stockdale

United States admiral

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July 23, 2026

Quick Summary

James Stockdale was a U.S. Navy officer and a prominent prisoner of war during the Vietnam War. Shot down in 1965, he endured over seven years of captivity, during which he was brutally tortured and held in solitary confinement for four years. Despite this, Stockdale steadfastly refused to provide information to his captors. He played a crucial role in organizing fellow prisoners, establishing a chain of command and communication system within the POW camps. His resilience and refusal to capitulate were recognized with a Medal of Honor citation, which noted an incident where he inflicted a severe wound upon himself to demonstrate his unwillingness to surrender. Stockdale later served as Ross Perot's running mate in the 1992 presidential election.1

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11 Memorable Quotes from U.S. Presidential Debates
Who am I? Why am I here? I’m not a politician.
…running mate, retired Navy admiral James Stockdale, won a seat at the vice presidential debate. Unfortunately, Stockdale’s self-deprecating attempt to address the public’s unfamiliarity with him only reinforced the impression that he didn’t belong on the stage.
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…running mate, retired Navy admiral James Stockdale, won a seat at the vice presidential debate. Unfortunately, Stockdale’s self-deprecating attempt to address the public’s unfamiliarity with him only reinforced the impression that he didn’t belong on the stage.
Read More

Five Downed Military Pilots Who Made History
James Stockdale
James Stockdale was the highest-ranking captive naval officer during the Vietnam War. Held for more than seven years, he served as something of a commanding officer for the other captives—including Denton and McCain—and set up a chain of command and a way to communicate. “We…
Read More
James Stockdale was the highest-ranking captive naval officer during the Vietnam War. Held for more than seven years, he served as something of a commanding officer for the other captives—including Denton and McCain—and set up a chain of command and a way to communicate. “We…
Read More

Gulf of Tonkin incident
Events of August 4
A plane piloted by Commander James Stockdale joined the action, flying at low altitude to see the enemy ships. Stockdale reported seeing no torpedo boats. Several hours later, Captain John Herrick of the Maddox, after reviewing the events, sent the message, “Review of action makes many reported contacts and torpedoes…
Read More
A plane piloted by Commander James Stockdale joined the action, flying at low altitude to see the enemy ships. Stockdale reported seeing no torpedo boats. Several hours later, Captain John Herrick of the Maddox, after reviewing the events, sent the message, “Review of action makes many reported contacts and torpedoes…
Read More