The disgrace of the British sailors and marines in Iranian captivity caused many to recall the heroics of Admiral James Stockdale. The photo above depicts Admiral Stockdale’s reunion with his family in 1973 after President Nixon secured his release. An unsigned editorial paragraph that runs in the current issue of National Review concisely sketches Admiral Stockdale’s almost unbelievable heroism:
The recent episode of the British hostages in Iran brought to mind the late Adm. James Stockdale. He spent seven years in Hoa Lo Prison, a.k.a. the Hanoi Hilton. For his valor and leadership while captive he was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. Though tortured 15 times, though kept in leg irons for two years, though held in solitary confinement for four, he would not aid his captors. Refusing to be paraded in front of foreign journalists, he slashed his scalp with a razor blade and beat his face with a wooden stool, rendering impossible that disgrace. Few are capable of such feats of will
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