Posted on 11/23/2001 6:28:18 AM PST by TheOtherOne
Ship Bearing Name of Navy Man Killed by Terrorists in 1985 May Be Deployed to Persian Gulf
Published: Nov 23, 2001
SAN DIEGO (AP) - A guided-missile destroyer named for a naval officer killed in a 1985 terrorist hijacking may soon assist in the war on terrorism. The new commanding officer of the USS Stethem said Wednesday the ship may soon depart for the Persian Gulf. The ship was named after Petty Officer Robert Dean Stethem, who was killed as he was planning to return home from Greece aboard TWA Flight 847. The flight was hijacked to Beirut, Lebanon, and Stethem was shot in the head, his body dumped on the tarmac. The Lebanese hijackers held 39 other people hostage for 17 days, demanding that Israel release several hundred Shiite Muslim prisoners. Stethem was targeted because he was part of the U.S. military. He was posthumously awarded a Purple Heart and Bronze Star. In 1995, the newly commissioned destroyer was named for him. Stethem's family and friends watched the destroyer's change of command Wednesday, hoping the ship and another named for Marine Corps Col. William Higgins, killed by terrorists in 1998, will play a role in the current military campaign. "We would like it very much if both the Stethem and the Higgins get to shoot Tomahawks and deliver some justice," said Richard Stethem, a retired Navy senior chief petty officer. The victim's brother said he remembers the funeral at Arlington National Cemetery and can't help but think about the flag-draped coffin. "Every time I look at the flag now and for the rest of my life," said Kenneth Stethem, "the red will represent the blood he spilled, the blue the beating and bruises he endured, and the white the purity and integrity he demonstrated in sacrificing his life." AP-ES-11-23-01 1002EST
"Every time I look at the flag now and for the rest of my life," said Kenneth Stethem, "the red will represent the blood he spilled, the blue the beating and bruises he endured, and the white the purity and integrity he demonstrated in sacrificing his life."
Inaccurate. Stethem was a PETTY OFFICER.
God rest his immortal soul, and bless him forever for the sacrifice he made.
Salute, brother.
LT.Col. William F. Buckley served with the 320th Special Forces Detachment which became the 11th Special Forces Group. He was employed by the CIA from 1955 to 1957 and again from 1965 as Lebanon station chief until his untimely death.
Kidnapped in Beirut: March 16, 1984 by Islamic Jihad terrorists.
Held in Iran: November 25, 1986
Body Recovered: December 27, 1991. The decomposed body of CIA officer William Buckley was dumped in southern Beirut early Friday, nearly eight years after being kidnapped and tortured by pro-Iranian extremists.
Remembered as Heroes: December 30, 1991. Two men (Buckley and Higgins) who met wretched deaths at the hands of Lebanese captors arrived home today in flag-draped coffins and were honored as "American heroes" by leaders. ''Today the nation gathers into its arms two of its bravest sons . . . patriot-warriors who died trying to bring peace to a ravaged land."
Now, finally, the navy has honored his sacrifice with a ship...
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