In Leavenworth his father owned a wholesale milk and ice cream business and also served as the town's mayor.

While taking a year away from Kansas State to earn money for tuition, Seitz was called to duty in 1940 with the 38th Infantry Regiment in Texas.

With the Army rapidly growing as the threat of war loomed, he quickly found himself in command of company, a position normally assigned to a captain.

While attending an infantry course at Ft. Benning, he saw the original Parachute Test Platoon commanded by then-Major Bill Ryder and decided to become a paratrooper.

[4] Seitz's first assignment after earning his jump wings was as a member of the 503d Parachute Infantry Battalion under the command of then-Major Robert Sink.

In twin attacks on two days, one after dark and the other in late evening, Seitz sent the Germans reeling back to the village of Hunnange, which was the gateway to St. Vith.

With all guns blazing and with massive artillery support fire, they locked up the crossroads village then waited in broad daylight for the huge armored assault which came behind them, heading for the next stop, St. Vith.

The battered battalion, which lost more than 400 of the original 600 who entered Belgium only four weeks earlier, won acclaim for its grueling feat in the freezing evenings of a Belgian January.

In the spring of 1957, he received orders to report to Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania, to attend the Army War College.

For a year beginning in June 1960, he was Chief, Field Training Team U.S. Military Assistance Group, Iran.

Seitz was promoted to brigadier general in July 1963 and appointed Chief, Combined Armed Division and then Deputy Director of the Office of Personnel.

Seitz spent about a year and a half as commanding general but it was an eventful time in the history of the Airborne and the United States.

The award was conferred to recognize "Seitz for his efforts to create a greater public awareness of the Army and to garner support for today's soldiers from citizens in all walks of life.

[16] During a celebration of the anniversary of Operation Dragon in September 2011, the French government conferred on him the National Order of the Legion of Honour, France's highest decoration.