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James Stockdale is an individual that defines the true meaning of a selfless American Hero. While Stockdale is associated with political pursuits, it is his legacy that completely trumps any of his political endeavors. The early background of Stockdale was a hint of the success that he would achieve later in his life as he was a great achiever. Stockdale’s life is full of highlights and acts of inspiration to all American citizens. Despite the inspiration of Stockdale’s story, it is important to acknowledge that it is one that is full of sad moments, especially during his imprisonment.

Stockdale was born on December 23, 1923, in Abingdon, Illinois. He was raised in the same region and would display his multiple talents while attending high school. Stockdale was involved in track, football, and track in addition to winning a piano competition in the region. He also illustrated his academic achievements as he would graduate high school in the second position. Stockdale attended Monmouth College but only for a short period as he moved to the United States Naval Academy. Stockdale would graduate from the Naval Academy in the year 1946. While attending flight training in Pensacola, FL, Stockdale would fly all the planes in the Navy’s inventory. However, Stockdale was driven to achieve greater heights, and he was accepted to Navy Test Pilot School in 1954, where he would serve as an instructor for a short period of time. At the school, Stockdale would still stand out as he recorded at least a thousand hours flying the F8U Crusader. While Stockdale was making strides in his career, he was still concerned with his academic achievements as he attended Stanford University, earning a Master’s Degree in International Relations. In the mid-1960s, Stockdale would be among those promoted, which represented the pinnacle of his military career. During this time, he was commanding a fighter squadron. This was a period just before he would encounter his most difficult challenge yet. Stockdale would be at the epicenter of the Gulf of Tonkin incident, which acted as a justification for the follow up military action in Vietnam. Even years after the incident, Stockdale has always claimed that he had not seen any enemy vessels, and at the time, he was flying quite low. Regardless of his views, Stockdale received orders to lead a raid on North Vietnam’s oil refineries, which was the first of its kind. This would be the war that would create his legacy as an American Hero.

September 9, 1965, was the date that would change the life of Stockdale. He took off his A-4 Skyhawk and went on a mission that would prove to be his last in North Vietnam. Stockdale’s plane was shot with anti-craft fire, and as he ejected, he broke a bone in his back in what would begin his long period of suffering. Stockdale landed in a small village dislocating his knee. A crowd approached him, beating Stockdale paralyzing his arm before the intervention of the military police, where he was taken into custody. Following his capture, Stockdale became the highest-ranking naval officer to be held captive in Vietnam. Hao Lo Prison became the area that Stockdale was held captive for seven years. During his captivity, Stockdale was tortured at least 15 times. The torture included both mental and physical techniques. Beatings and near-asphyxiation with ropes were the norms in prison, while mental torture included solitary confinement as well as abrasive leg irons for a significant part of his confinement. Stockdale would suffer as he was denied medical care as well as being the recipient of a malnourished diet. Even though Stockdale was denied receiving letters from home, this rule would be relieved and would lead to communication with his wife. Stockdale coded messages in the letters, and this led to the creation of a communication channel with the CIA, who coordinated with his wife. Stockdale reported the brutal torture, the poor prison conditions as well as the list of the United States’ POWs in prison. Stockdale refused to be used as a tool of propaganda as he maimed his face with the razor, knowing that he could not be presented to the journalists. Since Stockdale was willing to die than submit to the demands of the Vietnamese, this led to the better treatment of the American POWs. Stockdale was a source of strength for the other POWs as he created a brilliant code they could utilize to communicate. Stockdale was released in 1973, and he would be the recipient of the Medal of Honor, among many other personal combat decorations.

Stockdale would retire from the Navy in 1978, and after spending time in a distinguished academic career, he would enter politics in 1992. Stockdale agreed to join his long-time friend Ross Perot as the vice-presidential candidate of the reform party. The integrity that guided Stockdale throughout his military career was replicated in his political career. Stockdale expressed his dislike for partisan politics, but this did not compromise his dignity and integrity that he had demonstrated throughout the multiple careers. The experience in Vietnam, which led to the creation of his legacy, was also influential in his political career. However, this influence was negative as Stockdale struggled to transform himself into a public figure. Stockdale himself stated that “my sensitivities are different,” in reference to the experience he had as a war veteran as well as his role in the Vietnam War. The political career of Stockdale would lead to little success as his unpreparedness in his first debate tarnished his reputation that would struggle to recover. Stockdale would die of Alzheimer’s disease aged 81, in 2005.

Stockdale was a true American Hero, who held onto his integrity even in a tense political campaign where candidates result in negative tactics. Stockdale is an inspiration to the whole country as his captivity in Vietnam showed that he was ready to die for his country. Even in such a trying time, Stockdale managed to rise up as a leader and source of strength for the other POWs. His bravery, as well as his brilliance in various careers, makes him a standout hero that America is proud of.

The Mediterranean was a scenery of a lot of civilizations from Phoenicians to the Romans passing antique Greeks that navigated its seas and conquered its lands. A lot of islands or regions were populated by one or other civilization, in some cases, the territory was populated and invaded some many times that it is impossible to track where the origin of each city is. That is the case of the city that we are going to talk today, Citium or Kition on the island of Cyprus.

The origin of Citium is very uncertain, the legend says it has been founded by Khittim, grandson of Noah, but for the archaeological excavations, we know that the zone has been populated around the Bronze Age. Probably with habitants traveling from the lands of Egypt and Palestine attracted for the several natural harbors and richness of minerals in all Cyprus. The site of Citium lies just inland of a large, protected bay. That makes the town an ideal place for commerce.

Until the mid-twentieth century, archaeologists assumed that Citium, located in the area of present-day Larnaca, was founded by the sea-going Phoenicians around the eighth century B.C. This assumption was hard to disprove taking into consideration the difficulties in an excavation at the site and the lacking of a Greek foundation legend. Excavations in the 1950s uncovered a number of Bronze Age materials like pottery or tools, that proof that Citium was founded before the Phoenicians around the Early Bronze Age. Apparently, the city was abandoned suddenly in the thirteenth century B.C without any reason. But a new civilization arrived very fast very and rebuilt the settle. Achaeans inhabitants from Achae in Greece followed the foundations of previous construction and maintained the prominence of the temples and copper workshops.

After the rebuilding of Citium by the Achaeans, the city suffered destruction thanks to an earthquake around 1075 B.C. The city was rebuilt very fast but apparently, the damage caused by the earthquake must have been considerable because the city appeared to have been abandoned shortly thereafter. No items or metallurgical activities have been founded later than 1000 B.C. Apparently, this is the moment when Phoenicians extended its control over the remains of Citium, building it again from rubble into a prosperous city. As the Achaeans had done, the Phoenicians constructed their city on the foundations of past ruins. Apparently, the settlement was probably peaceful and perhaps probably desired. Contacts between Cyprus and Levantine coast were long-standing and on-going. The most remarkable building on this era was the reconstruction of the temple that was offered to Astarte (Phoenician goddess similar in role to the Aphrodite of the Greeks).

During this period, from 800 to 600 B.C., the king of Citium paid tribute to the Assyrians until Sargon II invaded Cyprus and erected a stele a Citium. This is the moment when the Phoenicians broke their relationship with the local authority and imposed their will. Despite the occupation, trade continued flourishing and a lot of Athen’s pottery was founded in Citium. Probably, the headquarters of the Assyrian navy was in the city, taking advantage of the Phoenician expertise of sailing.

When Assyrian eventually became part of the Persian Empire, also Citium. Some attempts of independence freedom helped by the Greek city of Athens happened during the next years until Greece made peace with Persia signing what became known as the Peace of Kallias. The fighting resumed half a century later when Citium was finally captured by Athens in 388 B.C. Their rule was brief because the city came back to Persia thanks to the Peace of Antalcidas, signed in 386 B.C.

Under the Alexander the Great in the late fourth century, Macedonian expansion ended the Persian rule of Cyprus. But this only opened the bigger fight with Alexander’s death, Cyprus became the battleground for regional control by Antigonus and Ptolemy of Egypt. Once again, the different attacks between the two successors of Alexander destroyed the city. Around this chaotic time, Zeno of Citium (335–263 B.C.) founder of the Stoic school of Greek philosophy, was born in the city.

The city was never fully recovered from the fights between Antigonus and Ptolemy, despite the city was again rebuilt, it never regained its former splendor and importance. The town continued to suffer the effects of earthquakes, and by medieval times the once strategic harbor had silted up. The citizens of Citium eventually built the new city of Larnaca.

Sadly, the worst devastation wasn’t during the Bronze Age or the period after Alexander’s death. It came in 1879 with the British occupation of Cyprus. Eager to dry up marshy lands causing malaria epidemics, the Royal Engineers decided to destroy the Acropolis of Citium and used it to cover the marshes.