Richard J. Seitz papers

Identity elements

Reference code

US US kmk P2014.05

Level of description

Collection

Title

Richard J. Seitz papers

Date(s)

  • 1918-1975 (Creation)

Extent

14.00 Boxes and 1.00 oversize cabinet drawer.

Post-Fire Oversize Boxes:
Box 9, 13 (16.5x20.5); 509S: 19/4/2

Name of creator

(1918-2013)

Biographical history

Lt. General Richard J. Seitz, age 95, completed a storied life on June 8, 2013 after suffering congestive heart failure. Born in Leavenworth, February 18, 1918, he grew up in that city and then attended Kansas State University where in 1939 as a junior he began dating his first wife, Bettie Jean Merrill, a freshman.
That same year Dick, foreseeing WWII looming on the horizon, accepted a commission as a 2nd Lieutenant in the US Army. Once in the Army he went through the sixth jump school class the Army ever had thus becoming one of its first paratroopers.
With the advent of the war, Dick rose rapidly until at the age of only 25 in March 1942, as a Major, he was given command of the 2nd Battalion of the 517th Parachute Infantry Regimental Combat Team. Thereafter, he was promoted to Lt. Colonel and, as the Army’s youngest battalion commander, led his battalion throughout its historic combat operations in Europe with the personal radio call sign of “Dangerous Dick.”
The 517th was flung into combat at Anzio at the time of the breakout from that beachhead followed by fighting up the Italian Peninsula. They then made the combat jump into the southern invasion of France at 4 a.m., August 15, 1944 as the airborne element of Operation Dragoon with its subsequent heavy combat in the French Maritime Alps. Finally, put in reserve in Northeastern France in December 1944, Dick was drawing up Paris leave rosters for his men when Hitler launched the Battle of the Bulge.
At that point, Dick’s 2nd Battalion was married with a Regiment of the 7th Armored Division to form what became known as Task Force Seitz.
It was pushed in to plug the gaps on the north slope of the Bulge every time the Germans tried to make a breakout. In doing so, his battalion went from 691 men to 380 through combat losses in some of the worst fighting of WWII. The battalion went on from the Bulge to see even further bloody combat in the subsequent battles of the Huertigen Forrest.
Before shipping out to Europe, Dick and Bettie continued to see each other whenever they had a chance to do so. In 1942, after graduating from Kansas State, Bettie joined the Red Cross and was subsequently sent to England in late 1943 to support the bomber groups of the Army Air Corp’s 8th Air Force.
In the fall of 1944, she was moved to Holland to run an Army rest and rehabilitation center. There in January 1945, she read in Stars and Stripes that Task Force Seitz was heavily engaged in the fighting around St. Vith. By herself, she drove from Holland to the front in Belgium and managed to find the Regimental HQ of the 517th.
But they would not allow her to go on to the very front lines where Dick was. However, this put them back in personal touch which led to their marriage in June 1945 in Joigny, France with one Red Cross bridesmaid and 1800 paratroopers in attendance in one of the greatest love stores of WWII.
Dick ended the war with the Silver Star, two Bronze Stars and the Purple Heart plus what he most treasured besides his Parachute Wings, the Combat Infantryman’s Badge.
Thereafter, during his lifelong Army career including nearly 37 years of active duty he also received numerous other decorations and awards including the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit, the French Croix de Guerre, and Legion of Honor.
Along with these awards, his commands included the 2nd Airborne Battle Group, 503rd Infantry Regiment and the 82nd Airborne Division, which he led into Detroit and Washington, DC in 1967 to quell those cities’ riots.
He also commanded the XVIII Airborne Corps and was Chief of Staff US Army Vietnam in 1965 through 1967 under General Westmoreland. As a Portuguese speaker he served two tours in Brazil, the last as Chief of the Joint US/Brazilian Military Commission and one year in Iran as a military advisor. He likewise served in Japan with the occupation forces immediately after World War II.
Dick and Bettie retired to Junction City in 1975. Unfortunately, Bettie died of a heart attack June 1, 1978. Thereafter, Dick was blessed to marry Virginia Crane, a widow, in 1980. She also predeceased him in 2006. In retirement, Dick remained extremely active with the Army through Fort Riley as well as in the Junction City Community and in Kansas generally.
During the Iraqi and Afghanistan Wars he would go out to Ft. Riley to see off and greet the deploying and redeploying units from those fights, no matter the hour day or night.
He was past Chairman of the Ft. Riley National Bank, very active with the Coronado Council of the Boy Scouts, a Trustee of St. John’s Military Academy, on the Board of the Eisenhower Presidential Library, President of the Fort Riley-Central Kansas Chapter of the Association of the U.S. Army, and Chaired Junction City’s Economic Redevelopment Study Commission among many other activities. He was also honored as an Outstanding Citizen of Kansas, received the prestigious AUSA Creighton Abrams Award, and most recently had the General Richard J. Seitz Elementary School named in his honor on the post at Fort Riley.
He felt a particular affection for the faculty and students of that school whom he visited as often as he could. The best way to describe Dick is that he lived his life “Airborne all the way!” to the very end.
Chronological Biographical Sketch
1918, Born, February 18, Leavenworth, Kansas
1937, Graduated from Leavenworth High School; Enrolled at Kansas State College of Agriculture and Applied Science
1939, May, completed the ROTC program, left Kansas State and commissioned as Second Lieutenant Infantry Reserve
1940, February, called to active duty, sent to Camp Bullis, Texas, and assigned to the 38th Infantry
1941, September 6, assigned to the 503rd Parachute Infantry Battalion as assistant platoon leader; November 1, promoted to First Lieutenant
1942, August 11, promoted to Captain
1943, Temporary 2nd Battalion Commander at Camp Toccoa, Georgia; April 12, promoted to Major; Placed in command of 2nd Battalion, 517th Parachute Infantry Regiment
1944, February 21 promoted to Lieutenant Colonel; May 31 deployed to Italy; Awarded the Purple Heart; August parachuted into France; Awarded the Silver Star and the French Croiz de Guerre with Palm; December 21 moved to Werbomont, Belgium joined the fight of the Battle of the Bulge; Awarded the Bronze Star
1945, June 23 married Bette Merrill in Joigny, France; August 22 arrived in the United States; November, assigned to the Special Training Section, Headquarters Army Ground Forces, Washington, D.C.
1946, September 2, Patricia Ann Seitz was born in Washington, D.C.
1947, January, moved to Hokkaido, Japan, and assigned to the 11th Airborne Division as Assistant G-3, later assigned Deputy Chief of Staff
1948, October 30, Catherine Seitze was born in Sapporo, Japan; December, appointed Chief of Staff of the 11th Division
1949, January, returned to the United Stated; July, attended the Command and General Staff School at Fort Leavenworth
1950, June 30, graduated and assigned Director of Airborne Training Department of the Infantry School at Fort Benning, Georgia
1953, August 24, entered the Armed Forces Staff College at Norfolk, Virginia
1954, January 21, competed in Joint Operations and Armed Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Virginia; September 13, departed for Rio de Janerio, Brazil, for assignment as the Chief of the Infantry and Airborne Sections; December 10, promoted to colonel
1956, August 7, Richard M. Seitz and Victoria Seitz were born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
1957, July 15, returned to the United States
1958, June 19, graduated Army War College; Assigned to command the 2nd Battle Group, 503rd Airborne Infantry of the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, North Carolina
1959, January 3, deployed to Alaska for three months of training and exercises; July, became Assistant Chief of Staff for Operations and Training, Headquarters XVIII Airborne Corps
1960, June, departed for Iran as training team chief in Mahabad
1961, June, arrived back in the United States
1962, January 27, graduated from the University of Omaha with a Bachelors in General Education and assigned as Executive Officer to Deputy Chief of Staff Personnel on the Army General Staff, Washington, D.C.
1963, December, promoted to Brigadier General and assigned as Director of Combat Arms Officers and later promoted to Acting Director of Officer Personnel
1965, June 12, assigned to Vietnam as Deputy Commander U. S. Support Command, served under General William Westmoreland; August, assigned Chief of Staff and Assistant Deputy Commander
1967, Promoted to Major General; March, left Vietnam to return to the United States (While in Vietnam he received the Legion of Merit, Air Medal, and Distinguished Service Medal); May 24, assigned to take command of the 82nd Airborne Division
1968, February 14, escorted President Lyndon B. Johnson around Fort Bragg to speak with troops deploying to Vietnam; September, received the Distinguished Service Medal upon completing his tour with the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg; Assigned Chairman of the U. S. delegation and Chief of the U. S. Military Assistant Group in Brazil
1970, April, assigned as the Assistant Chief of Army Personnel in the Pentagon
1973, June, promoted to Lieutenant General and took comman of the 18th Airborne, Fort Bragg
1975, June 30, retired from the U. S. Army; July, moved to Junction City, Kansas, where he became active in the community and with Fort Riley and Kansas State University/ The General Richard J. Seitz Elementary School was named in his honor on the post at Fort Riley. He was also honored as an Outstanding Citizen of Kansas and received the prestigious AUSA Creighton Abrams Award.
2013, Died June 8, at Junction City, Kansa

Content and structure elements

Scope and content

The papers of Lieutenant General Richard J. Seitz (Ret.) document major portions of his military career, civilian activities, and family life (1918-1975).  A native Kansan, General Seitz was born in Leavenworth in 1918; he entered Kansas State College of Agriculture and Applied Science in 1937.  He completed the ROTC program before he was able to graduate, was commissioned a second lieutenant in the infantry reserve, and was called to active duty in February of 1940.  Researchers are referred to the above biographical sketch and obituary, an oral history conducted by the U.S. Army Military Institute (Box 2/Folder 6), and autobiography (Box 6/Folder 8), to gain a full understanding of the career of General Seitz, a highly decorated, accomplished, and respected soldier in the U.S. Army.  His civic and family activities are also worthy of distinction.  After 35 years of service, he retired a lieutenant general in 1975 to Junction City, Kansas.  He passed away on June 8, 2013.
The military service files and photographs (1939-1975) document General Seitz’s military career primarily with the U. S. Army Airborne.  The papers include orders, commendations, service records, promotions, correspondence with commanding officers and officers under his command.  Researchers can use these files to study the rise of a newly commissioned second lieutenant in 1940 to his promotion to lieutenant general and designation as commander of the 18th Airborne Corps in 1973.  They can also gain an understanding of the involvement of the U.S. military in World War II and other operations around the world including Brazil, Iran (Mahabad), and Vietnam (under General William Westmoreland), in addition to various Airborne commands in the United States.
General Seitz’s record involving military campaigns during World War II is most notable.  In March 1942 he was given command of the 2nd Battalion of the 517th Parachute Infantry Regimental Combat Team.  Promoted to Lt. Colonel, he was the Army’s youngest battalion commander.  The 517th entered combat at Anzio and continued up the Italian Peninsula before joining the southern invasion of France in August 1944.  When Hitler launched the Battle of the Bulge, Seitz joined the fighting where his battalion went from 691 men to 380 during some of the worst fightings of the war.  During the later stages of the war, Bettie Merrill, who Seitz had dated since they met in Kansas, was able to travel from Holland as a member of the Red Cross to rendezvous with Seitz in Joigny, France where they were married on June 23, 1945!  Among the awards that he received for his valor were the Purple Heart (Italy), Silver Star, Croiz de Guerre with Palm, and Bronze Star.
In addition to his service records, other material in the collection documents General Seitz’s military career including his personal files, speeches, printed material, and certificates and awards.  Significant information about the Seitz family is found in the personal files and photographs.

System of arrangement

The papers of General Seitz housed in 14 boxes and one drawer and are organized into groups or series according to format. The majority of the papers consist of the following: personal and family documents; military service files (his personal file of official documents related to his military service, or “201” file); speeches; printed material; photographs and albums; and certificates and awards.

Conditions of access and use elements

Conditions governing access

No access restriction: All materials are open for research.

Physical access

Technical access

Conditions governing reproduction

The researcher assumes full responsibility for observing all copyright, property, and libel laws as they apply.

Languages of the material

  • English

Scripts of the material

  • Latin

Language and script notes

Finding aids

Acquisition and appraisal elements

Custodial history

It received accession number P2014.05.

Immediate source of acquisition

Acqusition Source: Richard J. Seitz
Acqusition Method: Donation
Acqusition Date: 20140101

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling information

Accruals

Related materials elements

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Related archival materials

Related Materials: In April 2014, an associated collection, “The World War II Free French Collection,” was donated by Alan Greer, Patricia Seitz’s husband, in honor of General Seitz.

Related descriptions

General note

Separated Materials: Publications transferred to University Archives library
The Angels' in Action: 11th Airborne Infantry Division [503rd Airborne Infantry Regiment], Fort Campbell, KY, 1955
Brief History of the 13th Airborne Division, undated
517th Parachute Regimental Combat Team. (Paducah, KY: Turner Publishing Company), 1998
Historical and Pictorial Review of the Parachute Battalions. (Fort Benning, GA: United States Army), 1942

Paratroopers' Odyssey: A History of the 517th Parachute Combat Team. (Hudson, FL: 517th Parachute Regimental Combat Team Association), 1985

Specialized notes

  • Citation: [Item title]. [item date], Richard J. Seitz papers, Box [number], Folder [number or title], Morse Department of Special Collections, Kansas State University Libraries.

Alternative identifier(s)

Archon Collection ID

358

Description control element

Rules or conventions

Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Sources used

Archivist's note

Finding Aid Author: Anthony Crawford and Laura Gonzales
Processing Info: This collection was processed by Anthony Crawford, curator of manuscripts and Laura Gonzales, student employee in the Morse Department of Special Collections, Kansas State University Libraries.

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Physical storage

  • 5" Flip Top, Legal: Box 1, A83412070423
  • 5" Flip Top, Legal: Box 2, A83412070407
  • 5" Flip Top, Letter: Box 3, A83412080224
  • 5" Flip Top, Letter: Box 4, A83412079859
  • 5" Flip Top, Legal: Box 5, A83412073976
  • 5" Flip Top, Legal: Box 6, A83412073984
  • 5" Flip Top, Legal: Box 7, A83412070009
  • 2.5" Flip Top, Legal : Box 8, A83412070017
  • Box: Oversize Box 9, A83412078146
  • Box: Box 10,
  • Box: Box 11, A83412069773
  • Box: Box 12,
  • Box: Oversize Box 13, A13411848642
  • Box: Oversize Box 14, A83412078277