The League of Wives of American Vietnam Prisoners of War was an organization founded in 1967 initially intended for sharing information and support among the wives of POW and MIA soldiers during the Vietnam War. The league was founded by Sybil Stockdale, the wife of detained American soldier James (Jim) Stockdale. Although its initial aim of the league was to provide support for its members, the league's wives were inspired to take action to ensure the safe return of POW and MIA Americans in Vietnam after being left discontented by the US military when it could not effectively provide families with the statuses or conditions of their relatives. The letters sent and meetings held by the league with military officials throughout the latter half of the Vietnam War attracted some animosity and significant media attention.
Origins The League of Wives was established in April 1966. Initially inspired by a letter she received from her husband while detained in Vietnam, Sybil Stockdale pursued answers from military officers by meeting with various key officials across the United States.
The league's initial goals were not political; Stockdale's initial intention in connecting with other wives whose husbands were also POWs was to address her own concerns about the influence of communist propaganda on American perceptions of the war. She hoped that this larger network, which demonstrated that others shared her concerns, would lend legitimacy to her cause. In its initial form, the group was both a social and support space for women in the surrounding area to connect with one another, with some describing it as a "sorority". There was also a further element of support through mentorship offered by the older wives to the younger ones, as Stockdale felt obligated to guide the younger wives who were now possibly widow.
This environment was helpful to women who found themselves isolated from their former military identity after the loss of their husbands; military spaces were unfriendly to women as they had lost their shared connection to the group.Smith, Steven L. "The Reluctant Sorority: Stories of American Wives of Prisoners of War and Missing in Action, 1965-1973; Lessons in Exercising Leadership in the Absence of Power" (EdD, University of Chicago, 2006), p. 24. As well, male officials worried that the presence of these women would cause unnecessary fear and stress for other military wives in social spaces, as they were seen as a physical reminder of the costs of the Vietnam War; they therefore actively tried to keep the wives out of these spaces.
In the late 1960s, the newly-formed League of Wives provided a space for women to build identities that were not centered on their wifehood. As Stockdale continued to connect with other women who had experienced loss without official answers, the league's membership and presence continued to grow domestically.Brown, Elizabeth I. "Bye, Bye Miss American Pie: Wives of American Servicemen in Southeast Asia, 1961–1975," (2005), p. 310-311. With the help of the league's social support, the Wives began leaning on their "feminine qualities" to push their agenda in predominantly male military spaces. They were able to complement these efforts and apply additional pressure on military officials by publicizing the conditions and treatment their husbands described in letters. These tactics, along with continuous development of social networks and increased media coverage allowed the league to develop into a more formally structured organization. By the 1970s, Stockdale and other league wives had created a vast network of women across the country searching for answers about their husbands, leading to the development of a "truly national organization" for the first time.
Many wives who joined in the league faced demilitarization and the tarnishing of their husbands' ranks. However, the majority of members believed the league's cause to be worth the loss of reputation.
Notable members Sybil Stockdale's husband, Jim Stockdale, was shot down in North Vietnam in 1965.Brown, Elizabeth I. "Bye, Bye Miss American Pie: Wives of American Servicemen in Southeast Asia, 1961–1975," (2005), p. 296. She then received a letter from her husband, who had become a POW, in April 1966 and asked for his status to be changed from MIA to POW.Brown, Elizabeth I. "Bye, Bye Miss American Pie: Wives of American Servicemen in Southeast Asia, 1961–1975," (2005), p. 298. After receiving the letter from her husband, Stockdale began organizing meetings between the wives. Her original efforts were based in San Diego.Brown, Elizabeth I. "Bye, Bye Miss American Pie: Wives of American Servicemen in Southeast Asia, 1961–1975," (2005), p. 299.
Barbara Keenan sought help from the American military when her husband disappeared and they suggested that she receive medical care, then treated her with tranquilizers.Brown, Elizabeth I. "Bye, Bye Miss American Pie: Wives of American Servicemen in Southeast Asia, 1961–1975," (2005), p. 297. In 1968, Keenan had become impatient from waiting and keeping silent, and she turned to political activism.Brown, Elizabeth I. "Bye, Bye Miss American Pie: Wives of American Servicemen in Southeast Asia, 1961–1975," (2005), p. 300. She engaged in volunteer work for the league and attended their social events.Brown, Elizabeth I. "Bye, Bye Miss American Pie: Wives of American Servicemen in Southeast Asia, 1961–1975," (2005), p. 332. She later became the head of a more radical group of activists, "Families for Intermediate Release" (FIR). In 1971, the FIR publicly criticized the League of Wives for failing to reach its humanitarian goals and adopted an antiwar position, violating several conditions of involvement in the league.Brown, Elizabeth I. "Bye, Bye Miss American Pie: Wives of American Servicemen in Southeast Asia, 1961–1975," (2005), p. 334.
Louise Mulligan was given the job of coordinator in the league by Sybil Stockdale. Mulligan oversaw the curating of the league's newsletter, which was distributed to other POWs' families through the Department of Defense.Brown, Elizabeth I. "Bye, Bye Miss American Pie: Wives of American Servicemen in Southeast Asia, 1961–1975," (2005), p. 303.
Iris Powers was the mother of a missing US Army non-commissioned officer and became a member of the league in the later stages of its formation. She eventually served as the league's first national coordinator.Brown, Elizabeth I. "Bye, Bye Miss American Pie: Wives of American Servicemen in Southeast Asia, 1961–1975," (2005), p. 338. Her efforts broadened the league's scope of consideration to include South Vietnam Army personnel.Brown, Elizabeth I. "Bye, Bye Miss American Pie: Wives of American Servicemen in Southeast Asia, 1961–1975," (2005), p. 339. She personally visited 700 US Army enlistees' families and compiled a list of significant reforms for US Army policy, which were eventually accepted and implemented.
Campaigns
Letters to the government Letter-writing campaigns were consistently used to promote the league's mission since before its official establishment and remained a central strategy of the league. Members of the league began sending letters appealing to the government individually starting in 1965.Smith, Steven L. "The Reluctant Sorority: Stories of American Wives of Prisoners of War and Missing in Action, 1965-1973; Lessons in Exercising Leadership in the Absence of Power" (EdD, University of Chicago, 2006), p. 166. The lack of response largely inspired the formation of the organization.Smith, Steven L. "The Reluctant Sorority: Stories of American Wives of Prisoners of War and Missing in Action, 1965-1973; Lessons in Exercising Leadership in the Absence of Power" (EdD, University of Chicago, 2006), p. 134.
The first letter sent as the League of Wives was addressed to Washington and requested a meeting with a representative of the Department of State to address their concerns. Three weeks after this letter was sent, Ambassador Harriman's assistant met with the wives in San Diego.
Letter-writing campaigns were launched to appeal not only to the US government but also to a number of leaders around the globe, as well as international organizations to raise awareness and receive aid and information. The league also reached out to international media outlets to spread the news. Articles on the Vietnam War POW/MIA issue and the league's efforts to remedy it were published in Berlin, Cairo, and other regions around the world.League member Phyllis Galantis' personal archives included newspapers from Berlin and Cairo. Smith, Steven L. "The Reluctant Sorority: Stories of American Wives of Prisoners of War and Missing in Action, 1965-1973; Lessons in Exercising Leadership in the Absence of Power" (EdD, University of Chicago, 2006), p. 172-173.
Telegraph-in The league's most notorious letter-writing campaign was the "telegraph-in" on January 20, 1969. Inspired by antiwar stand-in and sit-in protesting tactics, Stockdale called on POW/MIA wives to write as many telegrams as possible to the Nixon administration on Inauguration Day. The day after inauguration, Nixon was met with over 2,000 telegrams urging him to make the humane treatment of POW/MIA in Vietnam a priority for his administration. According to Nixon's Special Assistant Alexander Butterfield, this campaign had a significant effect on the President's stance on the Vietnam War POW/MIA issue.Smith, Steven L. "The Reluctant Sorority: Stories of American Wives of Prisoners of War and Missing in Action, 1965-1973; Lessons in Exercising Leadership in the Absence of Power" (EdD, University of Chicago, 2006), p. 169. This was reflected in Nixon's first press conference a week after the "telegraph-in" on January 27, 1969. When asked about ending the war in Vietnam, Nixon said they would have to go through negotiations, including the release of prisoners, before that could happen.Smith, Steven L. "The Reluctant Sorority: Stories of American Wives of Prisoners of War and Missing in Action, 1965-1973; Lessons in Exercising Leadership in the Absence of Power" (EdD, University of Chicago, 2006), p. 213.
Government visitations In addition to letter campaigns, members of the league made personal visits to military and state officials in Washington, D.C., and in their hometowns.Smith, Steven L. "The Reluctant Sorority: Stories of American Wives of Prisoners of War and Missing in Action, 1965-1973; Lessons in Exercising Leadership in the Absence of Power" (EdD, University of Chicago, 2006), p. 153-154
Stockdale met with Governor Harriman in August of 1966 to discuss the potential treatment of POWs as war criminals.
League of Wives National coordinator of Minnesota Mary Winn met with the General Chief of Staff of the Air Force and requested a list of POW/MIA families in the country on behalf of the league. Such a list was not permitted for public distribution as it would have violated the families' privacy. A message from the league was instead extended inviting such families to join their cause.
Paris appeal, 1969