LTC William Marlow Stevenson

William M. Stevenson was born in Litchfield, Montgomery County, Illinois on October 13, 1928.

He enlisted in the Army on August 19, 1946 and served on active duty until June 8, 1948.

He served a second term of enlistment from April 4, 1949 until April 12, 1951 at which time he was commissioned
a 2nd Lieutenant of Infantry in the U.S. Army Reserve with date of rank back to March 5, 1951. He was
commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the Regular Army on August 8, 1952 with date of rank back to March 9, 1952.
In 1952 he earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of South Dakota.

On July 8, 1958 Stevenson was promoted to the rank of Captain in the Army of the United States (AUS).
He was promoted to Captain in the Regular Army on March 9, 1959. Also in 1959 he graduated from the
U.S. Army Infantry School Officers Advanced Course.

He was promoted to Major (AUS) on May 9, 1963. He graduated from the U.S. Army Command & General Staff
College in 1964. That same year he earned a Master of Arts degree from the University of North Dakota.

Stevenson was promoted to Major in the Regular Army on March 9, 1966.
He was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel (AUS) on January 27, 1967.

4th Infantry Division General Staff Vietnam 1969
LTC William M. Stevenson is in the center. At this time he was G-1 (Assistant Chief of Staff).
Far right is Major General Donn R. Pepke (Division Commander).

LTC William M. Stevenson
the day he assumed command
of 1/22 Infantry - Vietnam January 31, 1969

Photo from:
the 1969 1st Battalion 22nd Infantry yearbook

LTC Stevenson (far left) briefs his staff of 1st Battalion 22nd Infantry in Vietnam 1969

November 1969 LTC William M. Stevenson in Vietnam
Note MACV SSI on his right shoulder sleeve indicating prior
combat service with that unit as an Advisor to the South Vietnamese Army.

William Marlow Stevenson died on December 20, 2014. Below are two separate obituaries
for him. Taken together they give a great deal of information to illustrate his life.

Col. William Marlow Stevenson, USA, Retired , Age: 86

October 28, 1928 -- December 20, 2014

Col. William Marlow Stevenson, USA, Retired was born Oct. 13, 1928 to William Marlow Stevenson and Tina Elzada Grisham Stevenson
in Litchfield, IL. Following the death of his father, his mother, his sisters Hannah and Wilma, and William (first called "Bill" by family
and friends, and called "Steve" later in life) moved to South Dakota to be near Tina's family.

Steve grew up on the farm of his aunt and uncle, Claudia and Grover Christensen near Beresford, SD. His cousins Ralph and Gordon
Christensen were as close to him as brothers. Living in South Dakota also provided Steve with the opportunity for one of the greatest joys
of his life: learning and perfecting the art of pheasant hunting. Following an early education in a one-room country school, he graduated
from Beresford High School where he enjoyed all sports, and then enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1946, already an excellent shot
from the hours spent out in the fields hunting.

Steve's service in Europe included duty with the 88th Infantry Division and the 351st Infantry Regiment near Trieste. He also enjoyed
traveling and competing in several sports while in Europe, particularly football and track and field. He attended the 1948 Olympic Games
in London as an alternate on the US track team (but did not have a chance to compete there).

He returned to the states to attend the University of South Dakota on the G.I. Bill and with an athletic scholarship. His outstanding
athletic career prompted a coach to call him "the fastest man in seven states," and Steve's love of all sports stayed with him
throughout his life. He also enjoyed the camaraderie of his fraternity brothers in Phi Delta Theta, many of whom where also athletes.

He met his future wife Adelaide Benson while they were at the university, and they soon were attending every dance they could,
dancing to the music of most of the Big Bands that toured through the midwest. They married shortly after graduation and began
a life of adventure together. Steve was commissioned as an officer in the regular army, and reported for 25 more years of active duty.
Steve's first job as an officer was as the Chief of the Physical Training Group for the 7th Armored Division in California, followed
by command of a rifle and weapons company with the 1st Cavalry Division in Japan, training for potential deployment to Korea.
Steve and Adelaide spent three years of their early life together in post-war Japan, living on Hokkaido and Honshu islands,
aware of the tensions of the Cold War and their proximity to Russia and China as well as Korea.

Upon their return to the states, Steve served as a mortar instructor at the Infantry School at Ft. Benning, GA, and then as
Assistant Professor of Military Science at the University of North Dakota where he also earned his Master's degree.
Following command of the Headquarters Company at Carlisle Barracks, PA, Steve undertook his first tour of duty in Vietnam
in 1964-1965, where his duties included work as an Advisor to the ARVN up on the DMZ. Several years of work at the
Pentagon gave his family unforgettable memories of living near our nation's capital in the 1960's. Steve returned to Vietnam
to take up command of the 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, "Regulars, By God," of the 4th Infantry Division,
in the Central Highlands of Vietnam, in 1969, where he felt all his training, knowledge, and abilities as a commander were put to use.

Following command of his battalion in combat, Steve continued to serve the 4th Div. as Assistant Chief of Staff, G-1;
then returned to Virginia and further service at the Pentagon. Time spent at Ft. Leavenworth at the Command and General Staff
College as both a student and as Chief of the Operations Division were rewarding times for Steve, who often said he had spent half
his military career in school. A graduate of Jungle Warfare School, the Armed Forces Staff College, the U.S. Army War College,
and the Command and General Staff College, as well as Northwestern University's Graduate School of Business Executive
Management Course, Steve excelled as both a student and a teacher. His education served him well when he was made Chief
of the army's Active Component Training Division, and supervised the training of the army's soldiers.

Perhaps his most enjoyable job in the army was command of the 2nd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, at Ft. Riley, KS.
He was happiest being in charge of troops in the field, and his time at Ft. Riley training his brigade and then taking them
to Germany for the NATO exercise Reforger gave him a sense of true accomplishment and the dynamic action that he loved.

His career was a proud one with many awards and decorations, including: the Silver Star, the Legion of Merit with 2 bronze oak leaf
clusters, the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Bronze Star with 2 bronze oak leaf clusters, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Air Medal
with 1 silver oak leaf cluster and 2 bronze oak leaf clusters, the Army Commendation Medal with V device and 2 bronze oak leaf clusters,
the Good Conduct Medal, the Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm and 2 gold stars (and many other decorations from the
Republic of Vietnam), the World War II Victory Medal, the Army of Occupation Medal, the National Defense Service Medal with
1 bronze service star, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal. He earned the Combat Infantry Badge, the Expert Infantry Badge,
and proudly wore the General Staff Identification Badge.

Following retirement, Steve built a second successful career in financial planning for military professionals, managing the Midwest,
then the Northeast regions for USPA & IRA. He loved to travel, visited 5 continents, and made friends on all of them. His love of God,
people, animals, and the great outdoors were inseparable from the man. As a member of Colonial Presbyterian Church he served as an Elder,
a Stephen Minister, taught Bible studies, served on the building committee, and Pastors' Support group. He loved his church and church family.

Steve passed away peacefully on Saturday afternoon, Dec. 20, 2014, while his wife Adelaide and daughter Dawn held his hands,
and while resting under the tender care of the staff of the Cardiac Care Unit at Shawnee Mission Medical Center. If he had been able
to speak clearly that day, he might have quoted Paul's verse in 2 Timothy 4:7: "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race,
I have kept the faith."

He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Adelaide, his son, Rev. Scott Marlow Stevenson and Scott's wife Ruthanne Popjoy Stevenson,
of Elverson, PA, his daughter Dawn, of Overland Park, 13 nieces and nephews, his cousin Gordon Christensen, Gordon's wife
Ardis Johnson Christensen, of Beresford, SD, and the families of Gordon and Ralph Christensen. Preceding him in death were his parents,
his two sisters and their husbands, Hannah Lois Stevenson Chiasson, wife of the late Russell Adam Chiasson, and Wilma Claudia
Stevenson Chiasson, wife of the late George Ray Chiasson, his brother-in-law B.H. "Bud" Benson and Bud's late wife Emlyn Bensen
Benson. his sister-in-law Sylvia "Sally" Benson Phillips, wife of Col. B. G. Phillips of Arlington, TX, and his cousin Ralph Christensen
and Ralph's wife Lucille Jensen Christensen.

Steve will be lovingly remembered for his enthusiasm, his determined and positive approach to life, his sense of humor, his love
of all animals and the great outdoors, his high energy, and his great generosity.

A celebration of his life with military honors will be held on Monday, Jan. 5, 2015, at 3:00 pm at Colonial Presbyterian Church,
9500 Wornall Rd., Kansas City, MO.
- See more at: https://www.porterfuneralhome.com/obituary-detail.php?obituary_id=57446#sthash.c9VON2x2.dpuf

Colonel William Marlow Stevenson, USA, retired, 86, passed away peacefully at Shawnee Mission Medical Center Saturday Dec. 20, 2014.

He was born Oct. 13, 1928, to William Marlow and Tina (Grisham) Stevenson in Litchfield, Ill. Following the death of his father,
he grew up on the farm of his aunt and uncle, Claudia and Grover Christensen, near Beresford, SD. A graduate of Beresford High School,
he enlisted in the army in 1946 and was sent to Europe where he served with the 88th Inf. Div. and the 351st Inf. Regt. near Trieste.
He also enjoyed competing in many sports, particularly football and track & field, while in Europe, and attended the 1948 Olympic games
in London as an alternate on the US track team. He returned to the states to attend the Univ. of SD on the G.I. Bill, and with an
athletic scholarship. Here he met his future wife, Adelaide Benson, whom he married following graduation. He was commissioned
as an officer in the regular Army and reported for 25 more years of active duty.

He held a Master's degree from the Univ. of ND and attended several service schools, including the Command & General Staff
College, the Jungle Warfare School, the Armed Forces Staff College, the U.S. Army War College, and Northwestern University's
Graduate School of Business Executive Management Course. He served with the 1st Cav. Div. in Japan, as an instructor at the
Infantry School at Ft. Benning, Ga., was Asst. Prof. of Military Science at the Univ. of ND, and in 1964-1965 went to Vietnam
where his duties included working as an Advisor to the ARVN. He served at the Pentagon before taking command of the
1st Battalion, 22nd Inf. Regt. "Regulars By God," of the 4th Inf. Div. in the highlands of Vietnam up on the DMZ in 1969.

In 1973, he took command of the 2nd Brigade, 1st Inf. Div. at Ft. Riley, Kan., and completed his military career at FORSCOM
at Ft. McPherson, Ga., where his duties included supervising the training of troops. His career was a proud one, with many awards
and decorations including the Silver Star, the Legion of Merit (2), the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Bronze Star (3), the Air Medal (7),
the Army Commendation Medal with V Device and 2 Oak Leaf clusters, and many decorations from the Republic of Vietnam
as well as US campaign medals. He earned the Combat Infantry Badge, the Expert Infantry Badge, and proudly wore the General Staff
Identification Badge.

After his retirement, he built a second successful career in financial planning for military professionals, managing first the Midwest,
then the Northeast region for USPA and IRA. He was an avid sportsman, especially fond of pheasant hunting, and an all-around athlete,
excelling in track. As a member of Colonial Presbyterian Church he served as Elder, Stephen Minister, taught Bible studies, served
on the building committee and was a member of the Pastors' Support Group. He loved his church and church family. He is survived
by wife of 62 years, Adelaide, son, Rev. Scott Marlow Stevenson and wife Ruthann of Elverson, Pa., daughter, Dawn of Overland Park,
13 nieces and nephews, cousin, Gordon Christensen and wife Ardis of Beresford, SD, and the families of his cousins, Gordon and Ralph
Christensen. Preceding him in death were his parents and two sisters and their husbands, Hannah (Russell) Chiasson, and Wilma (George)
Chiasson, and his cousin and wife, Ralph and Lucille Christensen. Steve will be lovingly remembered for his enthusiasm, his determined and
positive approach to life, his sense of humor, his love of the great outdoors and all animals, his high energy, and his great generosity.

A celebration of his life with military honors will be at 3 p.m. Monday, Jan. 5, at the Colonial Presbyterian Church, 9500 Wornall Rd.,
Kansas City, Mo. Arr.: Porter Funeral Home (913) 438-6444. www.porterfuneralhome.com

A frame showing COL (Ret.) William M. Stevenson from the videotaped interview done by him
for the Veterans History Project in 2008.

To view the 71 minute video interview of COL (Ret.) Wiliam M. Stevenson done in 2008
in which he talks about his life and Army career and gives details on his command of 1/22 Infantry
click on the following link:

BURIAL
Fort Leavenworth National Cemetery
Fort Leavenworth, Leavenworth County, Kansas
PLOT Section T, site 455

Top photo of LTC William M. Stevenson as Battalion Commander of 1/22 Infantry
from the 1969 1st Battalion 22nd Infantry yearbook. Note that LTC Stevenson is
wearing the black Regulars By God scarf.