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MEMORIAL ARTICLE
Published Assembly Sep '91
Stephan Andrew Matejov No.15777 Class of 1946
Died 27 November 1984 in East Meadow, New York, aged 59 years.
Interment: West Point Cemetery, West Point, New York.
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Stephan Andrew Matejov, known by his family and
friends as Steve, was born in New York City on New Year's Day
1925. His parents immigrated to this country from Czechoslovakia,
and Steve grew up in an ethnic neighborhood where his father
owned and operated a neighborhood bar. Steve attended and graduated
from Immaculata High School in New York City and attended Fordham
University for a year before he gained an appointment to West
Point, entering on 1 July 1943 with the Class of 1946.
Life as a plebe was often very difficult for Steve.
His heavy accent and ethnic restricted experience caused him
many anxious moments, but through sheer grit and determination
he made it. Adding to his tribulations plebe year, Steve's father
died. His roommate of three years, Fred Derrick, remembers that
Steve exhibited a great will to show his mother that he could
succeed and graduate from West Point. Fred recalls that Steve
helped him academically, especially in the sciences. Steve demonstrated
a great sense of humor which helped him over some of the rough
spots. Upon graduation, Steve became a second lieutenant in the
Coast Artillery Corps. All who knew Steve recognized his joy
and pride in becoming an officer in the United States Army. It
was to remain the driving force in his life.
Steve completed the Basic Artillery Courses at
Fort Sill, Oklahoma and Fort Bliss, Texas and paratroop training
in 1947. Steve was assigned to an AAA battalion in Korea and
after a year moved to Japan to serve as a battery officer, 865th
AAA (AW) Battalion. Steve married Mary Stacher in Alameda, California
on 24 July 1948 and in 1949 became a battery officer in A Battery,
15th AAA (AW) Battalion. When the Korean War broke out, Steve's
unit was deployed to Korea. His battery was attached to the 17th
Infantry as it fought north to the Yalu. On 17 November 1950,
elements of the 17th Infantry routed the North Koreans at Sogu-ri,
North Korea. During this engagement, Steve won the Silver Star
for his valor. In the March-April 1951 issue of the Antiaircraft
Journal, Captain George H. Worf, 15th AAA (AW) Battalion, wrote
an article entitled, "En route to the Yalu." Excerpts
from his article follow:
"Early in the morning of 19 November a task force of the
17th Infantry approached Mapyong-ni on its march to the Yalu.
Two sections of Battery A, 15th AAA (AW) Battalion under Lieutenant
Stephan Matejov were attached, each manning an M19 and an M16.....
As the column reached the bridge to find it blown out, the enemy
opened fire from camouflaged positions to the right across the
river. Entrenchments and pillboxes could be detected there about
400 yards away on the slope and extending in both directions
parallel to the stream. The tanks were not effectively firing
because the enemy were dispersed in the trenches, but that situation
was made to order for our automatic weapons. Two days earlier
the crews had routed the North Koreans at Sogu-ri (where Steve
earned his Silver Star).... The 40mm fire shattered the heavy
logs over the trenches and cut lanes through the pill boxes ....
The enemy, unable to stand the heavy pounding, swarmed to the
top of the hill, leaving their trenches. Then the quad-fifties
literally mowed them down .... When the Infantry reached the
hill, twelve shell-shocked prisoners were captured and ninety
were found dead.... This one action had made the deepest impression
upon the Infantry. It did eliminate a tough battle for them across
the river and probably saved many lives...."
The summer of 1951 saw Steve and Mary return to
Forts Sill and Bliss to attend the Artillery Advanced Course.
Thereafter Steve served for a year with an AAA battalion near
Pittsburgh before the Matejovs journeyed to Germany where Steve
was assigned to the 34th AAA Brigade and then became a battery
commander, 62nd AAA Battalion. Still in Germany, Steve was assigned
as operations officer, 532nd Military Intelligence Battalion.
Returning to the States in 1956, Steve was assigned as operations
and training officer in Headquarters, First Region Air Defense
Command, Fort Totten, New York. As so many of his classmates
about this time, Steve left the Army in 1961 to try his hand
in civilian life.
His initial endeavor was owning and operating a
marina service in Seaford, New York. He next went with the New
York City Department of Parks and directed recreation activities
for the Lower Highlands Park, Brooklyn. In 1964, Steve became
a peace officer with the New York City Corrections Department.
Having remained active in the Reserves, he completed the Advanced
Civil Affairs Career Course as the honor graduate in 1967 and
completed the Command and General Staff Course in 1970. Steve
was recalled to active duty with Headquarters Continental Army
Command at Fort Monroe, Virginia in 1968 and received his promotion
to lieutenant colonel. While at CONARC, Steve was in charge of
converting tables of organization and equipment for all Reserve
units assigned to the continental US to modern computer data
banks. After his stint at Fort Monroe, Steve returned to the
New York City Corrections Department, where he attained the position
of deputy warden. In 1977, Steve received a master of public
administration degree with a major in police science from John
Jay College of Law Enforcement. Steve retired from the Army Reserves
as a lieutenant colonel.
Steve and Mary had ten children. They were a proud
military family--one daughter, Theresa, graduated from West Point,
Class of 1981; a son, Stephan, became a career Navy man; a daughter,
Anne, served in the Peace Corps; John became a career Marine;
and two daughters, Cathy and Judy, married Marines. One son,
Joe, joined the Air Force and on 5 February 1973 was aboard an
EC-47Q intelligence collector aircraft when his plane was shot
down over Laos. There was proof that Joe had been captured. Convinced
that Joe was alive, Steve became the New York State Coordinator
for the National League of Families, MIA/POW. On 27 November
1984, Steve was on the roof of his home removing a tree branch
when he fell and died from a fractured skull. He is survived
by his wife Mary; five sons, Joe, Stephan, Jr., John, James and
Michael; five daughters, Theresa, Anne, Catherine, Mary and Judith;
a sister Irene; and a brother John. Mary has continued Steve's
efforts in the MIA/POW issue.
Stephan Andrew Matejov took great pride in serving
his country. He was retired from the Army as a lieutenant colonel.
That so many of his children made the decision to serve their
country made Steve extremely proud. Mary says that their family
motto is "God and Country Always." Al Bottoms said
it best when he said, "Steve's untimely, accidental death
took from us a classmate in whom we can be proud, a classmate
who lived his entire life in the spirit of Duty, Honor, Country."
Well Done, Steve, Be Thou at Peace!
'46 Memorial Article Project and his wife, Mary
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