Posted on 06/14/2005 2:47:03 PM PDT by Junior
Today marks the 20th anniversary of the hijacking of TWA flight 847, and the subsequent execution of Navy diver Robert Stetham by Islamic terrorists.
Stetham's anniversary.
Obviousy, this hijacking would never have occurred if it weren't for the abuses at Abu Gharib and Gitmo.
And may I add this is all BUSH'S FAULT!
Might just as well have said: "Eat your seed corn!" Idiots!!!
http://www.jenmartinez.com/mt/archives/000982.php
June 14, 2004
Remembering TWA Flight 847
On 14 June 1985, in Athens, Greece, TWA Flight 847, carrying 153 crew and passengers, was hijacked by armed Shiite terrorists who ordered the plane be flown to Beirut, Lebanon. The terrorists were members of the muslim organization Hezbollah, a.k.a. "Party of God." What a crock that is.
Among the 104 Americans aboard were five U.S. Navy divers; two were singled out by the terrorists for physical abuse. One of the two, 23 year old Robert D. Stethem, an underwater steelworker, was brutally beaten beyond recognition and tortured over a prolonged period of time. The next day, 15 June, the terrorists shot Robert Stethem in the right temple, killing him and then dumped his body on the tarmac at the Beirut airport.
All of the hostages were released by 30 June 1985 and Israel released most of the Shiite prisoners within a month. Four terrorists successfully escaped into Beirut. One of the hijackers, Mohammed Homadi, was arrested two years later in Frankfurt, Germany. He was tried and convicted of Stethem's murder and is serving a life sentence in Germany. On 10 October 2001, three of the alleged hijackers, Imad Mugniyah, Ali Atwa, and Hassan Izz-Al-Din were placed on the FBI Most Wanted Terrorists list. Rewards of $25 million dollars for information leading to their arrests and convictions are currently being offered.
Robert Dean Stethem was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart and Bronze Star. He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery. In 1994, the US Navy launched USS Stethem DDG 63 in his honor.
Posted by Jennifer at June 14, 2004 01:48 PM
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Jen Martinez called attention to this comment left on her tribute to Flight 847. where USN diver Robert Stetham was beaten and killed by terrorists on June 14, 1985. His body was dumped on the tarmac of the Beirut airport.... [Read More]
Tracked on June 19, 2004 02:31 PM
Comments
Liberals are supporters of groups like Hezbollah and Hamas...not to mention Al Qaeda. Oh, most will deny that to your face, but their policies and perversions speak for themselves.
Posted by: jimi at June 14, 2004 06:36 PM
Now there's a purple heart that was truly deserved. Hint, hint...
Posted by: Earl at June 14, 2004 07:36 PM
Thanks for posting this...so many people have forgotten this event. I believe what happened was that the divers were accused of being US Marines.
There was also an Army Officer on that flight - Kurt Carlson - whom I had the pleasure meeting a few years ago while I evaluated his Engineer Battalion.
He's one of the finest officers and nicest guys you would ever meet.
Posted by: Blackfive at June 16, 2004 01:02 PM
Over the couse of time we are told that we will forget the pains that have been inflicted upon us.
I was one of the Navy Seabee Divers who had to endure the pain of hearing and seeing SW2 (DV) Robert Stethem go through the brutality of terrorism on June 14, 1985. It has been 19 years since that day. I will NEVER FORGET what he sacraficed. I was lucky/blessed to be able to return home after 17 days of captivity. The mental and physical pains which we all endured during that time will heal, but will also be forever etched into our memory. Bobby was a close friend who is deeply missed by many. Let us all remember what has been taken away from us by EVIL and call it what it is. Many people ask me the question of, are we doing the right thing in waging a world wide war on terror, as if I am some type of an expert on the topic. I can only respond by saying,"If you can answer that question buy saying NO, you have not personally felt the pain of the enemy. Only a casual observer can say that we are doing the wrong thing, someone who lives in a bubble".
Let us not just remember the events of Sept. 11,2001, but remember all of what has happened over the course of many years. Remember we are not the bad guys in this fight. It is right for us to take a stand and support the cause of freedom and to do our best in preventing these acts of barbarism.
I have no doubts that if Robert Stethem were still alive what his answer would be.
As the gunman fired the fatal shot into my friends head, he cried out to God. That is the example I will always remember and try to follow. Never give up, endure all that is pressed upon me, and cry out to God for strength when I have done all that is within my power. We as a Nation can respond to evil in this same way. The motto of the USS Stethem DDG-63 is, "Steadfast and Courageous". This very applicable to the way Bobby lived & died.
We can honor him and all the other 5000+ Americans who have fallen to terrorism by applying this creed to our support of our Armed Forces and President of this great nation.
May we endure as Bobby did untill the end and always "Keep the Faith"
Posted by: Code Alpha at June 18, 2004 02:37 PM
You gotta love it. Are we doing the right thing?
"If you can answer that question buy saying NO, you have not personally felt the pain of the enemy. Only a casual observer can say that we are doing the wrong thing, someone who lives in a bubble". I couldn't agree more. Most Americans sit on their butts, with the most important decision they have to make each day is what to eat. We bitch about everything, from the price of drugs, gas, milk, our salaries, etc. We forget that we at least have those things. Let's think about it. How many rooms in your home, how many TV's, Phones, Computers? How many car's in your family? Do you have electric or gas stove, dryer, water heater, central heat and air? How much do you spend on landscaping around your place? And, we're trying to fight for freedom of the people in other countries. Quite a difference, isn't it? We don't want to give up anything, to help someone else be free.
Posted by: Joseph Anderson at June 20, 2004 11:29 AM
Great quote, Code Alpha;
JA: Hard to believe some brave French helped us achieve independence so many years ago. That country sure went down the drain. Sometimes looks like we want to follow them, instead of leading.
Posted by: Earl at June 20, 2004 07:59 PM
Due to the fact that "Jimbo" is using a fake name and email address, his comments have been deleted.
Jennifer sends
Posted by: Jennifer Martinez at June 23, 2004 03:30 PM
I was only 10 when the news of the hijaking came to our nation's attention. It scared me then and it all still scares and angers me today. I am deeply sorry that the passengers of 847 endured all that pain and terror. Robert's story will not ever be forgotten. I am sometimes surrounded by these "casual observers" who offer up their thoughts, opinions and anti-war, anti-Bush comments and can only think how easy we all have it here in America. They need a history lesson - freedom has never been won easily or peacefully. We live in the comfort of having everything fast and easy - food, cars, fashion and money. After 9/11, I realized that all these comforts, trivial as they may be, can be taken away from us in an instant. I believe in the strength and honor of our governent and military. I hope that all that we are fighting for in that distant and turbulent land protects our freedom and opens the door to freedom for others.
Posted by: Amy Robles-Patrick at July 26, 2004 07:24 PM
I served with Robert in boot camp in Great Lakes. The last time I saw him was when we meet in the Gym on Diego Garcia in 1983. I was there for a short time while circumnavigating a Fast Attack Submarine around the world and chasing Russians. We were glad to run into each other and talked for an hour or so. He said he was there for R&R. we finished our conversations with sayings such as " Be glad to get back home"......"Yea, me too". That was the last time I saw Robert.
I transfered to an old (and I mine OLD folks!) diesel submarine , USS DARTER SS-576 in Hawaii and we headed for Japan. Once in Japan, I was watching the news, when I saw Roberts photo and heard the words...."Beatin and shot to death". I was shocked and very PISSED! I wanted to kill them bastards by myself. Robert, your not forgotten by any of us and I look at our boot camp company photos often sharing them with the military here in Japan. Like I said Robert....your not forgotten. God Bless you and America.
Posted by: Michael J. Rodriguez at December 16, 2004 02:02 AM
Thank you Michael, for stopping by and sharing your memories. I never knew Robert but I will never forget him.
Thank you for your service to our Country, you are appreciated by this American.
Jennifer sends
Posted by: Jennifer Martinez at December 16, 2004 08:06 AM
I will always remember on TV, seeing what they did to Robert Stethe, of him falling to the tarmac, and just saying a pray that he was ok. I do not think I will ever get that out of my mind.
I was watching Delta Force the other day with my son. When I told him it really did happen, he just did not know what to say. So I pulled it up on the internet and let him read it for his self.
Posted by: Kathy Churray at May 1, 2005 05:20 PM
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Why oh why didn't Ronaldus Maximus hammer Iran and Hezbollah when he had every reason to do so? I know, the Cold War and all that, but still. He should have hit those idiots in Tehran and the Bekaa Valley hard, and repeated as necessary.
I sooooooo remember this, I was 15 watching CNN all day long.
http://www.stethem.navy.mil/
Stethem was mispelled. Can this be fixed by mods?
What, there were Islamic terrorists before Bush became president? I think you're confusing them with Palestinian militants. Everybody knows that Bush turned peaceful worshippers of Islam into desperate warriors with no other recourse.
WOW... My 20 year HS reunion is Sat. night. I wish I knew then what I know now.....SAD SAD SAD...
If I were in charge....any terrorist would have been dead 20 years ago....shame to have grown up during Pussy Carter....
Carter made me a Republican...:-)
This hijacking and the 9/11 hijackings would never have occurred had our federal government not unconstitutionally prohibited a private property owner, TWA at the time, from inviting the passenger's of their choice to be armed in assisting securing the aircraft and the other passengers from the threat of a hijacking attempt.
10, 30, 50 armed citizens would be the deterrent to discourage terrorists from attempting a hijackng that would have a very low probability of success.
I was 13 and did the same thing lol.
Where he conducts free seminars on how to hate God and America, 'For Life.'
Nice try to blame this on Bush but the president when this was done was Ronny Reagan.
There has been terrorism from the Middle East since the early 1970’s. Starting with Munich 72 summer Olympic games.
The one terrorist that was caught in Germany was released yesterday 12-20-2005. He was the triggerman that killed Navy Diver Stetham.
Now I will address your statement about Abu Gharib and Gitmo, these people are NOT being tortured and killed. Yes they were made to feel uncomfortable but no one was beaten, electric shock attached to them, sticks stuck up their fingernails etc. Yes there were wrongs done to them but nothing like the simple beheading of Nick Berg (or do you remember that it was a short movie all over the internet). Now that is torture. Or the beating of Navy Diver Stetham who was later shot in the head and dumped out of the airplane. Our people that did the wrongs will have years in prison to reflect on their actions, none of which required medical attention much less death!
The prisoners in Gitmo are well fed (the even are putting on weight). Given regular exercise and are give religious freedom (much more so than people in our prisons).
Back to the subject of this web site, TWA Flight 847.
The constant Bush bashing by the liberal left forgets that finally some one sees the risks of terrorism and is ready, willing and able to attack the root cause of terrorism the only way he knows how, by creating democracies in the Middle East. I do not know if he is correct or if it will work but I do know it is better than doing nothing like all of the former administrations have done.
Let us not forget that this is the first time since before JFK that we are doing something and staying with it. None of our previous leaders completed any war because the public has a short memory and they lacked the single mindedness that is required to go to war and win the war.
This does little to avenge the death of Navy Diver Stetham but may in the long run make the world a better place.
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