Robert Stethem
| Robert Dean Stethem | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born |
November 17, 1961 Waterbury, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Died |
June 15, 1985 (aged 23) Beirut, Lebanon |
| Resting place |
Arlington National Cemetery Arlington County, Virginia Section 59, Grave 430 (38°52′41″N 77°03′57″W / 38.8780°N 77.0658°W) |
| Allegiance |
 United States of America |
| Service/branch |
 United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1980–85 |
| Rank |
   Master chief constructionman (CUCM)Second-class diver (DV) |
| Unit |
Underwater Construction Team ONE (UCT-ONE) |
| Awards | |
Robert Dean Stethem (November 17, 1961 – June 15, 1985) was a United States Navy Seabee diver who was murdered by Hezbollah terrorists during the hijacking of the commercial airliner he was aboard, TWA Flight 847.[1] At the time of his death, his Navy rating was Steelworker Second Class (SW2). He was posthumously promoted to Master Chief Constructionman (CUCM).[2]
Early life
Stethem was born in Waterbury, Connecticut, but grew up in Virginia Beach, Virginia and Waldorf, Maryland. He was one of four children. His father, Richard Stethem, retired from the Navy as a Senior Chief after 20 years, continuing to work for it as a civilian afterwards. His mother, Patricia, served in the Navy before raising her family, continuing to serve in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces afterwards. His brother, Chief Boatswain’s Mate Kenneth Stethem was a Navy SEAL and brother Diver First Class Patrick Stethem served in Underwater Construction Team One for 10 years – the same unit in which Robert served. Stethem had one sister, Sheryl Sierralta.[2]
He graduated from Thomas Stone High School in 1980, where he played defensive back on the varsity and junior varsity football teams. He also played Little League baseball.[2]
Stethem joined the Navy shortly after graduating, reporting for duty on May 4, 1981.[2]
Navy career
In the Navy, Stethem was a Seabee Steelworker assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 62 in Gulfport, MS. He served multiple tours on Diego Garcia and Guam. Later, Stethem became a 2nd Class Navy Diver and was assigned to the Navy's Underwater Construction Team One in Little Creek, Virginia.[2]
TWA Flight 847
On June 14, 1985, Stethem was returning from an assignment in Nea Makri, Greece aboard TWA Flight 847 when it was hijacked by members of the Lebanese pro-Iranian organization Hezbollah. The hijackers held 39 people hostage for 17 days, demanding the release of 766 Lebanese and Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.[3]
When their demands were not met, Stethem, as a member of the US military, was targeted, beaten, and tortured. Finally, the hijackers shot him in the temple and dumped his body onto the tarmac at the Beirut airport.[3]
One of the hijackers, Mohammed Ali Hammadi, was arrested two years later in Frankfurt, Germany. He was tried and convicted of Stethem's murder and sentenced to life in prison. Three others, Imad Mugniyah, Hassan Izz-Al-Din, and Ali Atwa, were eventually indicted for their involvement in the incident. In 2002, they were added to the FBI Most Wanted Terrorists list. On February 13, 2008, Imad Mugniyah was killed in an explosion in Damascus, Syria.[4]
Mohammed Ali Hammadi was paroled in December 2005 and returned to Lebanon. It is speculated that he was released in a prisoner swap in exchange for the release of Susanne Osthoff, who was kidnapped in Iraq one month earlier.[3]
Awards and decorations
Stethem was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart and Bronze Star. He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery Section 59, Grave 430 (38°52′41″N 77°03′57″W / 38.8780°N 77.0658°W), near other American victims of international terrorism.[3]
On August 24, 2010, in Yokosuka, Japan, on board the ship named after him – the USS Stethem (DDG-63) – Stethem was made an honorary Master Chief Constructionman (CUCM) by order of the Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy. His brother, Kenneth, accepted the certificate and decorations on behalf of the Stethem family.[5]
On April 24, 2015 Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus presented the Prisoner of War medal to Mr & Mrs Stedham and the surviving members of Underwater Construction Team One, EO1(DV) Jeffrey J. Ingalls, CE1(DV) Tony Watson, EA1(DV) Stuart L.J. Dahl, SW2(DV) Kenneth M. Bowen, CE2(DV) Clinton Lee Suggs.
Honors
The following are named after Stethem:
- The Robert D. Stethem Memorial Sports Complex, Waldorf, Maryland[6]
- The Robert D. Stethem Educational Center, a vocational school in Pomfret, Maryland
- Robert D. Stethem Barracks, Training Support Center Hampton Roads, Virginia Beach, Virginia
- Stethem Memorial Navy Lodge, Naval Construction Battalion Center, Gulfport, Mississippi[7]
- Headquarters building and a street on the base, Port Hueneme Naval Construction Training Center, near Oxnard, California[3]
- USS Stethem (DDG-63), an Aegis Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, commissioned 1995[8]
In popular culture
A scene from the movie The Delta Force shows a U.S. Navy diver being beaten, tortured, killed and his body being dumped onto the tarmac. This scene is based on Stethem's encounter.[9]
See also
References
- ↑ Thinking of Robert Dean Stethem June 13, 2010 New York Sun editorial
- 1 2 3 4 5 "WNLL 30th Anniversary and Opening Day Ceremonies: A Special Tribute" (PDF). Waldorf National Little League. April 19, 2008. Retrieved December 4, 2013.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Unofficial Arlington Cemetery Page – Robert Dean Stethem
- ↑ Stethem, Katherine Curtis (February 14, 2008). "At Last, It Feels Like a New Day". The New York Sun. Retrieved December 5, 2013.
- ↑ Robert D. Stethem Memorial Sports Complex. Charles County, Maryland. Retrieved September 29,2 013.
- ↑ "Welcome to Your Navy in Gulf Coast Mississippi". Benchmark Publications, Inc. Retrieved December 5, 2013.
- ↑ Vanhala, Helena (2011). The Depiction of Terrorists in Blockbuster Hollywood Films, 1980-2001: An Analytical Study. McFarland. p. 163. ISBN 9780786456901.
External links
Robert Stethem at Find a Grave