Veteran of the Day — December 23, 2025
United States Army
Company C, 4th Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment (“Manchus”), 25th Infantry Division (USARV)
Born: March 14, 1943
Home of Record: Carmichael, California
Killed in Action: December 22, 1968
Casualty Province: Tây Ninh, South Vietnam
Vietnam Veterans Memorial: Panel 36W, Line 66
Service & Sacrifice
First Lieutenant Ernest James Stidham served as an infantry unit commander with Company C, 4/9 Infantry, part of the storied “Manchus” of the 25th Infantry Division.
On December 22, 1968, during the fighting in Tây Ninh Province, 1LT Stidham was killed in action.
That date is linked to the fierce combat around Patrol Base “Mole City”, where Company C, 4/9 Infantry suffered grievous losses.
He was 25 years old.
Remembered at Home
On the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund’s Wall of Faces, remembrances left for Lt. Stidham show the enduring impact of his life and service. One remembrance notes that a memorial bridge was named in his honor, a local tribute that keeps his name visible in the everyday world he left behind.
🌟 Reflection
Some heroes are remembered through famous headlines.
Others are remembered through a name etched in stone, a unit that still speaks it, and a bridge crossed by strangers every day who may not realize the price behind the name.
Today, we remember 1LT Ernest James Stidham, and we honor the men who stood their ground in 1968 so others could come home.
Coolbeaners Appreciation
At mickyspano.com/, we honor the men and women who stepped forward when our nation called.
Today, we recognize First Lieutenant Ernest James Stidham, United States Army — a Vietnam hero from Carmichael, California, who gave his life in Tây Ninh Province and is forever remembered on Panel 36W, Line 66 of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
mickyspano.com/
The Micky Spano Show
Honoring a Veteran of the Day, every single day.
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