John Stockwell (CIA)

John Stockwell is a very interesting subject when it comes to previous CIA operatives; there are two reasons why he is such an interesting person to write about. The first is that he served in the CIA for 13 years and completed seven tours of duty in this time period, the second and more interesting is that after this he resigned the force and became a vocal critic of the American government.

John Stockwell is a man who had a passion for intelligence and espionage but whom left his job because of his disbelief at political policies. While many feel he gave up on his nation others feel he did the right thing in proving the politicians of today are simply jostling for their own power and it is not always done for the good of the nation.

John Stockwell Youth

Stockwell was born in Texas in 1937 (although some say it was Lubondai). The truth is that while he was young his father took the family to the Belgian Congo because of work commitments and it is at this point that Stockwell lived in Lubondai and also attended a local school.

Once of age to attend University the young Stockwell came back to Texas and studied at the University of Texas. After graduating University the CIA career Stockwell wanted came in to fruition.

John Stockwell in the CIA

Stockwell became a Marine in 1964 and found his way straight into the CIA paramilitary intelligence through this avenue. In this position Stockwell was a case officer and spent the first six years stationed out in Africa where he was involved in two large wars, these were the Angolan war of independence and the Congo Crisis.

In 1970 Stockwell was moved to Vietnam where the well known Vietnam War was well underway. In Vietnam Stockwell was based in the Tay Ninh area where he spent five years until 1975.

In the following year of 1976 in the weeks before Christmas Stockwell resigned from the CIA with the military rank of Major and having been awarded the CIA Medal of Merit.

John Stockwell Resigns

The reasons for Stockwell resigning were due to his concerns and ethics in the CIA operations in the nations he had been stationed. He truly didn’t believe in the methods used and said so in front of the Congressional committees.

After resigning Stockwell became a writer, as such he was the first CIA agent to pen a book after leaving the service. In the books he has wrote Stockwell has always been critical of the intelligence agencies and the politicians of America, he even went as far as saying the CIA and NSA lie to the politicians for their own gains.

Throughout the 1980’s Stockwell went on the road and started holding seminars at Colleges and Universities talking about the negative impact the CIA has on the country of America. While he talked in negative tones about the CIA he was never critical of the case workers and operative’s saying they did a good job from the orders given but it was the orders that caused the negative impact.

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