Ted Allen Studebaker

Ted Studebaker, a true peace hero, worked for peace through nonviolence. By doing so, he left a peacemaking legacy that continues to impact mankind through the ages. He was a volunteer agriculturalist in the highlands of Vietnam during the war. As he began his third year of work, he married the love of his life, Pakdy, a Chinese coworker. One week after their marriage, Vietnamese forces, opposing the Americans, entered their house where they killed him.

Ted was fully prepared and armed with confidence for the work that God had set before him. He was totally committed to give of himself without reservation. Ted gratefully acknowledged his government's position of accepting alternative service to serve mankind as opposed to military service. He wrote to his draft board, ""I don't feel unpatriotic or disloyal to my country. However, I do think there are certain rights, beliefs, and values to which one should be more devoted to than his country if he has arrived at them through conscientious thought, learning and experience."" Ted was aware of the opposition he would face for his peacemaking stand, yet he was true to his beliefs. In doing so, he remains an enduring force for peace.

""An Ohio farm boy with a freshly acquired master's in social work and a relentless zest for life entered the war in Vietnam in the late 1960s. Ted Studebaker volunteered not to rout out the enemy but to nurture the roots of agricultural minorities in the central highlands. Ted's devotion to the work and love for the people prompted him to volunteer for a third year; shortly thereafter he was killed by Vietnamese forces. Ted's story as traced by two of his seven siblings, brothers Gary and Doug Studebaker, stands as a testament to family kinship, steadfast faith, and human solidarity.""
--Howard E. Royer, Journalist, Church of the Brethren



Gary W. Studebaker is an older brother of Ted Studebaker. He served in BVS and IVS as an agriculturalist in the country of Laos. He earned his teaching credentials at Manchester College (BS), California State University, L.A. (MA), and the University of Oregon (EdD). His career in special education included that of teacher, administrator, and academic coach to special education teachers in Southern California. He also taught special education at National University.

Douglas E. Studebaker is the younger brother of Ted Studebaker. He prepared for a career in social work and business at Austin Peay State University (BS) and UCLA (MSW/MBA). He had a lengthy social services career in developmental disabilities, home health care, hospice, and employee counseling programs. Later he cofounded and managed an interior design and home furnishings business. Currently, he manages an Airbnb hospitality business, builds environmentally friendly tree houses, and coaches high school pole vault athletes.