Robert Stethem

Robert Stethem

Robert Dean Stethem (November 17, 1961 – June 15, 1985) was a United States Navy Seabee diver who was murdered by terrorists during the hijacking of the commercial airliner he was aboard: TWA Flight 847. His Navy rating was Steel Worker Second Class (SW2).

Biography

Robert Stethem was born in Waterbury, Connecticut, but grew up in the Pinefield section of Waldorf, Maryland. He was one of three children. His father and two brothers also served in the U.S. Navy, one of them serving as a US Navy SEAL. His mother was a civilian Navy administrator. He graduated from Thomas Stone High School in 1980, where he played defensive back on the varsity and junior varsity football teams. He joined the Navy shortly after graduating.

In the Navy, he was assigned to the Navy Underwater Construction Team ONE in Norfolk, Virginia. He was returning from an assignment in Nea Makri, Greece aboard TWA Flight 847 when it was hijacked by members of the Lebanese terrorist organization Hezbollah. They demanded the release of 766 Lebanese and Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.

When their demands were not met, Stethem was singled out. The hijackers learned he was a member of the U.S. military. They beat and tortured him. Then, they shot him and dumped his body on the tarmac at the Beirut airport.

One of the hijackers Mohammed Ali Hammadi, was arrested two years later in Frankfurt, Germany. He was tried and convicted of Stethem's murder. He was sentenced to life in jail. 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.

Mohammed Ali Hammadi was paroled in December of 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.

Awards and decorations

Stethem was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart and Bronze Star. He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery. In 1994, the U.S. Navy launched USS "Stethem" (DDG-63) in his honor. There is a sports complex in Waldorf named in his honor on Piney Church Road, in the center of which is a large stone memorial to Stethem, above which a U.S. flag flies.

Honors

Robert D. Stethem Memorial Park includes 10 ball fields, two of which have 90-foot infields; the complex is the main complex for Waldorf American and Waldorf National Little Leagues. It was opened in 1990 and boasts a memorial stone 75 yards from Stethem's memorial, which includes a tribute plaque to several former Waldorf players, as well as local umpires and district officials who have lost their lives.The Career and Technology Center in Pomfret was renamed the Robert D. Stethem Center in the late 1990s.

The U.S. Navy Seabee's named the Port Hueneme Naval Construction Training Center Headquarters Building in his honor.

ee also

*TWA Flight 847
*Aircraft hijacking
*USS Stethem (DDG-63)

External links

* [http://www.uliderickson.net/ Uli Derickson - Legacy of Courage]
* [http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/rdstethe.htm Robert Stethem's Arlington National Cemetery Memorial Page]


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем сделать НИР

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Robert Stethem — (* 17. November 1961; † 15. Juni 1985) war ein Taucher der United States Navy im Range eines Petty Officer Second Class. Er reiste an Bord eines zivilen Flugzeuges von Athen nach Rom, als der TWA Flug 847 durch die Organisation für die… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Robert Stethem — Mohammed Ali Hammadi Mohammed Ali Hammadi est un libanais membre du Hezbollah accusé et emprisonné pour avoir détourné un avion en 1985 (vol 847 de la TWA). Il est également le meurtrier d un soldat américain, Robert Stethem. En 1987, les forces… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Stethem — Robert Stethem Robert Stethem (* 17. November 1961; † 15. Juni 1985) war ein Taucher der United States Navy im Range eines Petty Officer Second Class. Er reiste an Bord eines zivilen Flugzeuges von Athen in Griechenland auf dem Weg nach Rom …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Robert Dean (disambiguation) — Robert Dean may refer to: * Robert Dean, Australian politician * Robert Dean (Michigan politician) * Robert Dean (Ufologist) * Rob Dean, British musician * Bob Dean, Canadian Football League kicker * Robert D. Hales, Robert Dean Hales, member of… …   Wikipedia

  • USS Stethem (DDG-63) — Career (US) …   Wikipedia

  • USS Stethem — Die USS Stethem im Golf von Thailand (2009) Geschichte Bestellung 22. Februar 1990 …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • USS Stethem (DDG-63) — Die USS Stethem im Golf von Thailand (2009) Geschichte Bestellung 22. Februar 1990 …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Trans World Airlines — TWA redirects here. For other uses, see TWA (disambiguation). Trans World Airlines IATA TW ICAO …   Wikipedia

  • Seabee — This article is about the Seabee naval unit. For the Seabee aircraft, see Republic RC 3 Seabee. Seabees The Seabee logo Active 5 March 1942 …   Wikipedia

  • TWA Flight 847 — Infobox Airliner accident|name=TWA Flight 847 Date=June 14, 1985 Type=Hijacking Site=Greek Airspace Origin=Athens (Ellinikon) International Airport| Stopover=Leonardo Da Vinci International Airport Destination=London Heathrow Airport Fatalities=1 …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”