Coronado in San Diego County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)

The Stockdale Tribute

Honoring Vice Admiral James B. Stockdale and Mrs. Sybil B. Stockdale

— Great American Heroes; Distinguished Coronado Residents —

The Stockdale Tribute Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Col. James F. Jamison, USMC (Ret), May 5, 2018

1. The Stockdale Tribute Marker

American Heroes and Distinguished Coronado Residents

Inscription. Vice Admiral Stockdale was awarded our nation's highest military award, the Medal of Honor, for his extraordinary heroism, conspicuous gallantry, and unparalleled leadership while serving as senior naval officer in the Prisoner of War camps of North Vietnam (1965 - 1973). As the leader of POW resistance in that hostile and brutal environment, his indomitable spirit, valiant leadership and remarkable courage sustained others and upheld the finest traditions of our nation and our Navy.

Mrs. Sybil Stockdale tirelessly organized and led a nationwide effort to focus attention upon, and publicize the plight of the prisoners of war, demanding that the treatment of the POWs be improved. Her dynamic leadership and persistent efforts at home and abroad were a major factor in the betterment of conditions for all POWs imprisoned in Vietnam.

Erected 2006 by Coronado City Council and the Citizens of Coronado.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Patriots & Patriotism • War, Vietnam • Women.

Location. 32° 41.457′ N, 117° 10.63′ W. Marker is in Coronado, California, in San Diego County. Marker is on Orange Avenue (California Route 75), on the right when traveling south

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. This marker is at the left side of the entrance to the Coronado Public Library. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 640 Orange Avenue, Coronado CA 92118, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Carrothers Court (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Babcock Court (about 400 feet away); Sacred Heart Church - 1920 (about 600 feet away); Coronado Rotary Club Christmas Tree (approx. 0.4 miles away); Naval Aviation Centennial 1911-2011 (approx. 0.4 miles away); First Bank Building - 1911 (approx. 0.4 miles away); J.D. & A.B. Spreckels Building (approx. half a mile away); Mann House - 1926 (approx. half a mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Coronado.

More about this marker. This marker is in the shadow of a flag-pole flying the American and POW flags.

Regarding The Stockdale Tribute. James Bond Stockdale was born on December 23, 1923 in Illinois, He died on July 5, 2005 in Coronado, CA. He was a United States Navy Vice Admiral and aviator awarded the Medal of Honor in the Vietnam War, during which he was a prisoner of war for over seven years.
Commander Stockdale was the senior naval officer held captive in Hanoi, North Vietnam. He had led aerial attacks from the carrier USS Ticonderoga (CVA-14) during the 1964 Gulf of Tonkin Incident. On

Photographed By Col. James F. Jamison, USMC (Ret), May 5, 2018

2. The Stockdale Tribute Marker

The Marker can be seen in front of the Coronado Public Library.

his next deployment, while Commander of Carrier Air Wing Sixteen aboard the carrier USS Oriskany (CV-34), his A-4 Skyhawk jet was shot down in North Vietnam on September 9, 1965. He served as President of the Naval War College from October 1977 until he retired from the Navy in 1979. As Vice Admiral, Stockdale became the President for the Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina. Stockdale held this position from 1979 to 1980. Stockdale was a candidate for Vice President of the United States in the 1992 presidential election, on Ross Perot's Independent ticket.

Sybil Bailey Stockdale was born on November 25, 1924 in Connecticut; she died on October 10, 2015 in Coronado, California. She was the devoted wife of an American Vietnam War Navy pilot who became a prisoner of war. Sybil then became a co-founder, and National Coordinator of the National League of Families, a nonprofit organization that worked on behalf of American Vietnam-era Missing in Action and Prisoner of War Families. In her capacity as national coordinator for the League, she also served as its liaison to the White House and the Department of Defense. Sybil Stockdale is the recipient of the Navy Distinguished Public Service Award, the highest award given by the Department of the Navy to a citizen not employed by the Department. She is the only wife of an active-duty officer ever to have been so honored.

Photographed By Col. James F. Jamison, USMC (Ret), May 5, 2018

3. A-4 Skyhawk

This A-4 Skyhawk is similar to the one Vice Admiral James B. Stockdale flew and is displayed at the Main Entrance to Naval Air Station, North Island in Coronado, California.

Mrs. Stockdale was also the co-author, along with her husband James, of the book "In Love and War: the Story of a Family's Ordeal and Sacrifice During the Vietnam War".

Credits. This page was last revised on May 6, 2018. It was originally submitted on May 5, 2018, by Col. James F. Jamison, USMC (Ret) of Coronado, California. This page has been viewed 345 times since then and 34 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on May 5, 2018, by Col. James F. Jamison, USMC (Ret) of Coronado, California. • Syd Whittle was the editor who published this page.