Stadems in the First Wave of Stadem immigration from Norway arrived in 1790, so they must not have fought in the Revolutionary War. Information on this is requested.
Information is requested on these war and possible Stadem involvement. Stadems may well have fought in the Union Army, and possibly even the Confederate Army (let the true facts be given on this website concerning this most tragic American conflict of brother against brother, family against family, state against state, North against South, and one race, the white, against the black, though many of the North had long supported the full emancipation of the enslaved blacks.). Information is requested to give names and dates.
No data. Information requested.
Note on the Korean War: This very bloody and hard-fought conflict is called the "Forgotten War," though President Truman described it as the most dangerous war ever fought by the U.S. We have at least one Stadem relation by marriage, Bruce Livingstone Brown, who served in Korea during the war which was waged from 1950-1953, with the enemies and the UN-US and Korean forces drawn up at the 38th parallel where the war began with North Korean invading South Korea. The war ceased with no treaty but an armistice signed on July 27, 1953, so it has never officially ended, with North Korea still a hostile antagonist and now a nuclear-missile-armed, diehard-communist power. The cost in lives was very great. Over half a million U.N. troops and a million and a half Korean and Chinese soldiers and civilians lost their lives in the three years of warfare. The U.S. suffered some 147,000 casualties, with over 33,000 dead in battle. Pork Chop Hill...The Iron Triangle...Heartbreak Ridge...they were battlegrounds of the Korean War. This year is the 50th Anniversary of the start of the war. A PBS National Memorial Day Concert offers a special tribute to the brave veterans who served in Korea. An annual holiday special hosted by actor and WWII veteran Ossie Davis will air live from the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol, Sunday, May 28, 2000, 8:00 p.m. eastern time. The USO will honor Korean War veterans attending a special commemoration of the Korean War on June 26, 2000, at the Grand Hyatt Ballroom in Seoul, South Korea. The wartime achievements of as many as 150 Korean War veterans will be recognized and honored for the contribution they made for preserving South Korea's freedom. Members of Congress introduced a resolution Feb. 1 to honor veterans who fought and sacrificed in the Korean War. The bi-partisan resolution is worded: "During the Korean War, hundreds of thousands of American servicemen and women were wounded, or paid the ultimate sacrifice, to stop the spread of aggressive and dictatorial communism in the Pacific Rim and beyond." The resolution espresses the gratitude of the people of the United States to the 5.7 million members of the Armed Forces who served during the Korean War, honors the memory of the 54,268 who died during the war (including 33,651 battle deaths) and the 8,207 listed as missing in action or prisoners of war. The resolution calls for a Presidential proclamation recognizing the 50th Anniversary of the Korean War and the sacrifice of those who served and fought in Korea and calls on the nation to observe the anniversary with appropriate ceremonies and activities, not only to recognize and remember the men who fought in the war but to inform the younger generations who might otherwise fail to see the significance of the sacrifices made. Watch for efforts by certain special interest groups to discredit the Korean War veterans in the eyes of the American people. Already an article about massacres of refugees alleged to have been perpetrated by U.S. troops has appeared, but the facts are not substantiated. This is nothing new, as similar efforts were made during the Viet Nam war to smear and discredit all American forces in Viet Nam due a massacre in a village there by a lone crazed commander (something you can expect to happen even in the best army, as in some individuals who do not have the restraint and control of Christ in their lives, human nature is brutalized in a brutal conflict). We can resist such campaigns by being better informed than those who seek to discredit the U.S. armed forces in any way they can. Why was Korea so significant? Its location is highly strategic, with Japan lying about 100 miles off the coast of Korea. But it was a war about keeping a valiant, free people free from communist domination. No one had any question about that, since the North Korean army invaded South Korea, forcing the U.S. as treaty-bound guarantee of South Korea's independence to intervene. The United Nations also acted decisively and entered the war against North Korea, which was condemned by the U.N. as the aggressor. China supported the agressor, the North Korean army, and sent armies to aid the North Koreans. If they did so before, would they not do so again if hostilities again break forth? The Korean peninsula is about the size of Utah, but it is 635 miles long at its greatest distance and 150 miles wide at its widest. It is a rugged land mass with a savage winter made worse by Siberian winds bringing numbing cold. Approximately 90% of the soldiers fighting in Korea suffered from frostbite. We of the Stadem family relationship are very, very proud of our veterans who fought so heroically in this very fierce and difficult war, which caught the U.S. off-guard when supplies of military equiment and vital tanks was so deficient that tanks for show on Midwest bases were taken off their pedestals and shipped to Korea! Have we learned a lesson? All reports of our presently declining armed forces state clearly that the lesson is ignored and lives of U.S. combatants in a future conflict of such a scope as the Korea War will be in great jeopardy. [Since this was written, President George Bush has become a true leader, and has begun strengthening the nation's defenses, a process begun before the great tragedy of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on NYC and the Pentagon.--Ed]
Note on the Viet Nam War: Truly there needs to be more honor accorded U.S. veterans by the American people. Viet Nam Veterans, those who served in combat especially, ought to be given a second homecoming on the Mall before the halls of Congress, this time with cheers and clapping instead of how they were treated some twenty years ago. The facts have come out and the record is plain and public that this was a war our fighting men were not permitted to win, and that decision was made by those in leadership in the top echelons of the U.S. government involving the Secretary of Defense and others of high office. Recently a Viet Nam combat veteran, who was awarded the Purple Heart, told us the military only attempted to do its duty, but the blame for fighting the war against the North Vietnamese communists in South Vietnam (a war entered into by the civilian heads of government and certain presidents) was hard to bear, for they were fighting it bravely in often terrible conditions of heat, insects, jungle and swampy terrain, with no way to physically tell a North Vietnamese or North Vietnamese-supporter from a loyal South Vietnamese supporter of the US-ARVIN forces all while under increasing attack from anti-war pressure groups at home, opposition that finally made their job impossible. We are not debating whether the war should have been begun or not--that decision was made by U.S. heads of state and a war was never declared by Congress, and we see the consequences. Over fifty thousand men and women in the armed forces lost their lives in this war they were not permitted to win--a very great tragedy and a national disgrace. Fittingly, the Memorial Wall for them in Washington, D.C. is black marble. In Christ, all we can do is forgive and ask forgiveness for what happened. But we can also write representatives in Congress and ask for full honors, well-deserved, to be given to Viet Nam soldiers at least, that will do them all justice. Truly, it is time for this to happen.--Editors
ANNOUNCEMENT: A special tribute will be given to veterans at the coming Fourth of July Weekend Reunion, 2000, at Plain View Farm, Bryant, South Dakota. Among others, Wayne and Lorin Ginther were honored for peacetime service in the Coast Guard between the Korean War and the Viet Nam War. This will be the second such commemoration at Plain View Farm of our veterans. At last year's Reunion the names of veterans were written on signs and placed like banners on poles and carried by family participants. All present found it a very moving ceremony. At a previous Reunion, Viet Nam veteran Russell Del Von Schaefer shared experiences he had in the View Nam War, which was much appreciated by those present and a videotape was made which will be greatly valued.
SPECIAL MENTION: Given to Russell Del Von Schaefer, Viet Nam combat veteran. He shared his helicopter service and flying mission experience with those at a recent Reunion. He could have told even more, which was stunning to hear, for we have since heard that a commander volunteered himself to fly back into enemy territory to retrieve Schaefer, who had been shot down--that is how much this brave man was appreciated by the commander and the men of Russell Del Von Schaefer's unit who had first volunteered when hearing of Schaefer's predicament and need for rescue. Special mention is also given to Victor Svanoe, who not only served in the war in Viet Nam, but went back after his term of service to help the poor Vietnamese to dig wells. He got very sick, nearly died, and had to come home. He learned Vietnamese and after the war continued to help this people over in the U.S. deal with Vietnamese immigration problems and adjustment here. His actions demonstrate a love for the Vietnamese that went far beyond the call of duty.--Editors
A World War II Memorial for Veterans was authorized by President Clinton, May 25, 1993, but funding will not come from the government. The 100 million must come from citizens. The World War II Registry of honored WWII veterans (names submitted by friends or families) will be kept on permanent display in Washington, D.C., to ensure that the names of these Patriotic Americans are recorded in history for all time. Arthur Donald Stadem has been submitted by brother and fellow WWII Veteran Leroy Stadem and family to the Registry of Remembrances, along with a money gift for the Memorial. Thanks go to Leroy Stadem for honoring his deceased brother, a fellow Stadem veteran, above himself, though he too should be registered as he served in the Navy in World War II.--PVF Editor
YEAR 2000 MEMORIAL DAY MESSAGE FROM ESTELLE STADEM-RANGEN AND JOSEPH RANGEN: "Marcelle Fischeeler from San Fernando, Ca. shares a true experience, 'My daughter and I were waiting to cross a busy street when a tapping sound made me turn. Approaching briskly and confidently was a handsome young man carrying a white cane and wearing a service discharge button. Knowing how sensitive some people are about their afflictions, I said timidly, 'Traffic's pretty heavy today, son. Do you mind if we cross with you?' 'Not at all,' he replied cheerfully. 'I've lived in this neighborhood all my life, except when I was in the service. That's when I lost my sight.' Traffic slackened, and we crossed and walked on down the street together. 'Next week I'm going to another state to a prison where a friend of mind is going to be electrocuted,' the young man told us. Trying not to sound shocked, I repeated, 'A friend of yours?' 'Yes,' he said quietly, 'you see, although we've never met, he's giving me his eyes.'' We thought this was an appropriate incident to share on this 2000 Memorial Day. Our country, and our God...With all that is within us, we love you each one! Let Freedom ring...Estelle and Joe Rangen"
Links to other sites
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Web
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CENTRAL FOR ROAD MAPS A Tribute to WWII Veteran, Arthur Stadem Information Site for the World War II Memorial Butterfly Productions Home Page GIANT FOOTPRINTS CENTRAL of Tributes to Bryant, SD's Pioneers and Patriots
