“I never doubted not only that I would get out, but also that I would prevail in the end and turn the experience into the defining event of my life.” Admiral James Stockdale Admiral Stockdale was the highest ranking U.S. officer at the “Hanoi Hilton” POW camp during Vietnam. A navy fighter pilot, he was shot down and endured brutal torture, all while doing everything possible to inspire and strengthen the spirit of his fellow prisoners. When he returned a free ...