James Stockdale

Vice Admiral James Bond Stockdale (December 23, 1923 – July 5, 2005) was one of the most highly decorated officers in the history of the United States Navy. He was the highest ranking naval officer held as a prisoner of war in Vietnam. Stockdale led the U.S. air squadron during the 1964 Gulf of Tonkin Incident. He was awarded 26 personal combat decorations, including the Medal of Honor and four Silver Stars. Stockdale is also remembered as a Vice Presidential candidate in the 1992 election on Ross Perot's independent ticket.

Vice-Presidential candidacy

Stockdale came to know H. Ross Perot through Sybil Stockdale's work in establishing an organization to represent the families of Vietnam POWs. Ross Perot asked Stockdale to be nominated as Vice-President on the ticket in March 1992 at a news conference at the Loews Annapolis Hotel in Annapolis, Maryland. Perot told him that he would be placeholder until Perot found a running mate. Stockdale thought that his name would be removed from the ballot when Perot temporarily withdrew from the race.

Related Topics:
H. Ross Perot - 1992 - Annapolis, Maryland

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Perot eventually re-entered the race in the fall of 1992 with Stockdale still in place as the vice-presidential nominee for the Reform Party. Stockdale was not informed that he would be participating in the vice-presidential debate until a week before the event. He had no formal preparation for the debate, unlike his opponents Al Gore and Dan Quayle. This lack of preparation was highlighted in the debate when Stockdale's opening comments were "Who am I? Why am I here?". Later in the debate, Stockdale asked the moderator to repeat a question because he didn't have his hearing aid turned on. Stockdale's performance in the debate was widely criticized.

Related Topics:
Reform Party - Al Gore - Dan Quayle - Hearing aid

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In a subsequent interview with Jim Lehrer, Stockdale explained that the statements were intended as an introduction of him and his record to the television audience:

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:It was terribly frustrating because I remember I started with, "Who am I? Why am I here?" and I never got back to that because there was never an opportunity for me to explain my life to people. It was so different from Quayle and Gore. The four years in solitary confinement in Vietnam, 7½ years in prisons, drop the first bomb that started the...American bombing raid in the North Vietnam. We blew the oil storage tanks of then off the map. And I never—I couldn't approach—I don't say it just to brag, but, I mean, my sensitivities are completely different.

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Perot ran again for President in 1996, but Stockdale had returned to the Republican Party. He supported fellow former POW John McCain in his bid for the 2000 Republican nomination.

Related Topics:
1996 - Republican Party - John McCain - 2000

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