SOURCE: Glen Dale [2661] Stidham of Grass Valley, California, telephone interview by drs, 12 Apr 2009.

SOURCE: "The American War Library" (Internet); Vietnam Memorial, Washington, DC; "Vietnam War, Deceased Casualties, 1965-1972" (Ancestry.com)

SOURCE: Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense, Washington DC, news release, 390 Dec 1968, which listed US military casualties in Vietnam.

SOURCE: Julia Stidham (Mrs. Craig [5268a] Stidham) of Grass Valley, California, telephone interview by drs, 6 April 2009.

BIRTH: California Birth Index, 1905-1995 (Ancestry.com)

EDUCATION: Nevada Union High School, Grass Valley, Nevada Co, Caliornia; graduated, Sacramento State (California State University, Sacramento), degree in business.

MILITARY: US Army, 1st Lieut. (graduated from Officers Candidate School). Killed in action during the Vietnam War from small arms gunshot (he had been in Vietnam only about 3 weeks when he was killed). . SN: 05351691. He is the only Stidham* listed on the Vietnam Memorial wall. He earned a 3-star purple heart.

A Note from The Virtual Wall (www.virtualwall.org)
In mid-December 1968 the 65th Engineers and the 4th Bn, 9th Infantry, began construction of what became known as "Fire Support Base MOLE CITY" - visitors were greeted by a sign that read "WELCOME TO MOLE CITY, The Sandbag Capitol of the World". The nickname, and the reason for it, was well-earned. The new fire support base was only 5 kilometers from the Cambodian border, and apparently the VC and NVA took exception to the idea of having a US base quite so close to their sanctuary. On 22 December the base was attacked by elements of the 272nd VC Regiment and/or 207th NVA Regiment. In a vicious night fight the NVA/VC were forced to withdraw, leaving 103 bodies behind - but the fight cost 17 American dead and another 34 wounded. The dead were
B Co, 4th Bn, 9th Infantry:
PFC Alfred Viel, Dover, NH
PFC Terry J. Ward, Salt Lake City, UT
C Co, 4th Bn, 9th Infantry:
SP4 Justin K. Anderson, Chicago, IL
SFC Richard G. Barnard, Rochester, NY (Dist Svc Cross)
PFC Donald G. Bousley, Ann Arbor, MI
PFC Richard T. Chambers, Islip, NY
SP4 Donald I. Culshaw <../dc/CulshawDI01a.htm>, Minneota, MN
PFC Charles P. Glenn, Patrick, AR
1SG Manuel D. Madruga, Modesto, CA
PFC Henry E. Maul, Worland, WY
SGT Michael A. Minko <../dm/MinkoMA01a.htm>, Culver City, CA
SP4 Dionisio Sanchez-Ortiz, Santurce, PR
1LT Ernest J. Stidham, Carmichael, CA
PFC Malcolm R. True, Cocoa, FL
D Co, 4th Bn, 9th Infantry:
PFC Gary W. Everett, Athens, TX
SP4 Thomas L. Goodale, Kansas City, MO
HHC, 4th Bn, 9th Infantry:
SP4 Willie J. Tate, Cheraw, SC

RELIGION: Baptist

RES: Carmichael, California

PHOTOGRAPH of his name on the Vietnam Memorial wall in Washington, DC. (Courtesy of Ules G. Stidam, Sr., sent 30 Dec 2006)