SwiftVets.com

Truegrit

Adm. James (Jim) Stockdale, a Medal of Honor recipient who it was my honor to become acquainted with at Stanford University in the early 80's, was the officer in charge of American POW's incarcerated in the infamous Hanoi Hilton, having been captured after being shot down on a mission over N. Vietnam. Jim helped bring his fellow captives through their ordeal of torture, getting them to take as much torture as humanly possible -- in resisting the North Vietnamese guards' efforts to get them to confess to war crimes. Jim writes about his experience in his book, "Thoughts of a Philosophical Fighter Pilot." He was infuriated by Jane Fonda's photo ops on behalf of the North Vietnamese. I assume he must be just as incensed by John Kerry's 1971 Senate testimony in which he parrotted North Vietnamese claims of war crimes, making baseless allegations against his fellow Vets.

I suggest an effort to recruit Jim Stockdale, and others who suffered the torture chambers of the Hanoi Hilton -- to explain why they cannot support John Kerry as Commander in Chief!
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Ted Harwood, Ph.D.
Enlisted, U.S. Army ('57-'60)

NavyChief · Posted: Sun Aug 22, 2004 7:14 pm Post subject:

That may be a little difficult to do. When I worked for the POW/MIA office in DC from 94 to 98, I phoned Adm Stockdale to be my guest speaker at the National Prayer Breakfast. He declined because he didn't have good things to say about government's involvement with the POW/MIA issue. He didn't want to be involved in these types of issues. Jumping into this issue would be much worse for him and I believe he wants to enjoy a quiet life now. I could be wrong of course, that was a few years back and this issue may be pissing him off as well, but thought I'd share my attempt at getting his support.

- instigator
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Working with Senator Kerry four years in the POW/MIA Office left me thinking -- when did the man ever do any work?

Truegrit · Posted: Sun Aug 22, 2004 9:25 pm Post subject: Great news from HHMI

Hi Navy Chief,

You may be right. I don't know whether Jim Stockdale would come on board for SBVT. Sybil, his wife, worked very hard to get the Nixon administration to put pressure on the North Vietnamese. Sybil's courageous mobilization of the POW wives did finally pay off. Our government finally did something! And the torture diminished. Jim may have some ambivalence as a result. But I know one thing from my long talks with Jim while at Stanford, where we were fellows at the Hoover Institution. He had an abiding animus to Jane Fonda and the far leftwing radicals who supported the Viet Cong-North Vietnamese, who lent their prestige to the enemy.

John Kerry got into bed with the America-haters, with the leftwing radicals who were waving Vietcong flags on the steps of the U.S. Capitol! Waving these flags in the faces of U.S. Senators who lacked the balls to ask them why they were supporting a brutal dictatorship. Kerry slandered American Vets. And now the attack dogs of the Democratic party are trying to slander the Vets again -- the Swift Boat Vets who are bringing the truth to the American people.

I think maybe Jim might be recruited. Maybe. I don't know. Why not try.
_________________
Ted Harwood, Ph.D.
Enlisted, U.S. Army ('57-'60)

NavyChief · Posted: Sun Aug 22, 2004 10:55 pm Post subject:

Ted,

I agree with you that he should be asked. The worse can be a no. We have plenty of men out there now that should be perceived as beyond reproach but unfortunately a good portion of the public has let me down.

Stockdale's voice would be superb in this fight, but I'm afraid the Dem slim machine would laugh at him for his Vice Pres bid with Ross Perot. The Kerry campaign shows no boundaries for how low they will stoop.

- instigator
_________________
Working with Senator Kerry four years in the POW/MIA Office left me thinking -- when did the man ever do any work?

Truegrit · Posted: Mon Aug 23, 2004 12:29 am Post subject: Reply to Navy Chief

NavyChief,

Jim Stockdale lives in Coronado, if I've spelled it right, near San Diego -- the Island where a lot of Naval vets are retired.

Somebody who is a close friend, a naval buddy, would have to make the approach, see if he would be willing to do this. He is one of the most courageous men I have ever known, as is his wife, who kept the pressure on the Nixon administration to get action on behalf of the POWs, who had been forgotten. He may not want the publicity or media spotlight -- esp. after the experience of running as VP (actually a stand in VP) for Perot. But you never know until you ask.

He would be great for our cause. He is a medal of honor winner and he helped those guys get through that ordeal by developing a code of conduct they could live with.

Ted
_________________
Ted Harwood, Ph.D.
Enlisted, U.S. Army ('57-'60)

NavyChief · Posted: Mon Aug 23, 2004 1:19 am Post subject:

Ted,

true true true. Maybe we could get Jeremiah Denton on this as well. He is also truly respected.

- intigator
_________________
Working with Senator Kerry four years in the POW/MIA Office left me thinking -- when did the man ever do any work?

xcorpsman-usn · Posted: Mon Aug 23, 2004 2:52 am Post subject:

stop kerry · Posted: Mon Aug 23, 2004 3:26 am Post subject:

I think Jeremiah Denton is the better choice since he like Dole is already signed on the Vets for Bush group. Another person who could be a firestarter for SVBT would be Ross Perot BUT he hates Bushies so won't
help you because Bush is president and he knows this helps Bush even thought that is not your reason for the SBVT- kerry's lies are the reason. Evil or Very Mad

NavyChief · Posted: Mon Aug 23, 2004 3:52 am Post subject:

xcorpsman-usn: thanks for that link. That article is 100% Jeremiah - I love the guy.

- instigator
_________________
Working with Senator Kerry four years in the POW/MIA Office left me thinking -- when did the man ever do any work?

Leatherneckm31 · Posted: Mon Aug 23, 2004 7:27 pm Post subject: Re: Adm. Stockdale

I know this is only so much scuttlebutt since I don't live next door to the admiral, but last March Mike Thornton told me that Stockdale's health has not been all that good of late.

My guess is that he's just not up to the stress of joining the fray.

Having read his books and had the honor to briefly correspond with him, the admiral may well be the most intellectual flag officer in a great while.
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"Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored."- -Aldous Huxley

Truegrit · Posted: Mon Aug 23, 2004 10:20 pm Post subject: Reply to Leatherneck

I've not been in touch with Jim Stockdale for about five years. If he is in poor health, I wasn't aware of that fact and am very sorry to hear about it. He is absolutely one of the greatest Americans I have ever known. His essays and speeches on stoic philosophy, and how that philosophy -- and courses he took at Stanford on philosophy -- helped pull him through that ordeal at the Hanoi Hilton, and helped him get the other guys through that ordeal -- are outstanding works. I highly recommend his book to all to come to this Web site -- "Reflections of a Philosophical Fighter Pilot."

God bless Jim Stockwell for his faith and courage.

And now we face the prospect of a conman, John Kerry, who cynically adopted the propaganda of the North Vietnamese, and Extreme Left Wing radicals, and made it his own -- he face the prospect that this posteur could be leading our young men and women as Commander in Chief.

We must fight against his candidacy.
_________________
Ted Harwood, Ph.D.
Enlisted, U.S. Army ('57-'60)