The League of Wives of American Vietnam Prisoners of War was an organization formed by the wife of Admiral James Stockdale, Sybil Stockdale. With the help of this group, the government admited to the United States that the prisoners of war were not being treated humanely.

POW's credited Sybil Stockdale, the wife of Admiral Stockdale, for changing their conditions in the prison camps in Vietnam. She was proactive and gave a voice to military families. When Admiral Stockdale was finally freed, he phoned home, and this phone call was recorded by the Stockdale family.

The POW's in Vietnam knew that they had to unite in order to survive: Admiral James Stockdale helped to keep the men in the Vietnam torture prison hopeful. He knew that maintaining unity and normalcy was the way to help keep his men feeling strong.

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An Honor To Serve
Words and music by Ray Boltz

He was just a young man
When he first heard the call
Come and join in the battle
Come and give us your all
And he rose up to follow
Leaving all else behind
And he joined in this song
When he reached the front lines

CHORUS:
It's an honor to serve
To join in the fight
To lift up my voice
And to lay down my life
Giving glory to God
Seeking none in return
It's an honor, an honor to serve

Now the day he was captured
They locked him in chains
And though weeks turned to years
Still his faith stayed the same
As his body was broken
His dark hair turned gray
But each night in his cell
He would stand up and say

CHORUS:

Now one day the war
Finally came to an end
And he spoke with his heart
As he stood with his men...

"We are honored to have had
The opportunity to serve our country
Under difficult circumstances.
We are profoundly grateful
To our commander-in-chief
And to our nation for this day…
God Bless America."

As they lifted the flag
At the front of the crowd
I watched him stand up
And bring his hand to his brow
Oh Lord, help me remember
What true honor means
And no matter the cost
To stand up and sing

CHORUS