Major General John Francis Regis "Jeff" Seitz (May 22, 1908 – October 10, 1978) was a career United States Army officer who, after serving in World War II and the Korean War, retired as Deputy Commander of the First United States Army in 1966. Seitz graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, in 1929. He served in several assignments before commanding a battalion at Schofield Barracks at Oahu, Hawaii, on December 7, 1941, during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. After the United States entered the Second World War, Seitz served in important staff positions from early 1942 to late 1943. He was highly decorated for his service as colonel commanding the 26th United States Infantry Regiment in combat in the European Theater of World War II for most of the remainder of the war, which was especially distinguished.
From November 26, 1943, to April 9, 1945, Seitz commanded the 26th Infantry Regiment (organized for the 1944–1945 campaign in France, Belgium and Germany as Regimental Combat Team 26 or Combat Team (CT) 26). CT 26 was a unit of the 1st Infantry Division (United States). Seitz commanded the combat team at Omaha Beach during the Normandy landings on D-Day, in the breakout from Normandy and at the approach to close the gap in the Falaise Pocket. The First United States Army, including Seitz's regimental combat team, hotly pursued the fleeing German Army divisions across France to the border of Germany by September 7, 1944. On October 11, 1944, after heavy fighting during the Battle of Aachen, Seitz led two of the three battalions of the regiment into heavily defended Aachen, Germany. They seized the first German city to fall to the Allies of World War II after 8 days of urban combat. In November 1944, Seitz led the regiment during the opening phase of the Battle of Hürtgen Forest. Starting only 10 days after the regiment was withdrawn from this bloody and costly battle, Seitz directed CT 26's heroic, successful stand at the Battle of Bütgenbach, an important part of the Battle of the Bulge that followed the Battle of Elsenborn Ridge.[1] With many replacement soldiers due to losses in the Hürtgen Forest, and with skillful artillery support, Seitz and the outnumbered 26th Infantry Regiment team prevented the Nazi 12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend, 3rd Parachute Division (Germany) and the 12th Volksgrenadier Division, which were supported by dozens of tanks, from breaking the Allied line at Bütgenbach.
After the Battle of the Bulge, Seitz led CT 26 during operations to clear remaining German forces from positions in Belgium. Then on February 1–3, 1945, he directed an attack on the Siegfried Line or Westwall German border defenses on the German-Belgium border. The 26th Infantry Regiment broke through the German defenses to capture Hollerath, (Hellenthal-Hollerath), Germany. CT 26 under Seitz's command pushed on to cross the Roer River on February 25, 1945, and the Neffel Creek and Erft River by March 4, 1945. On March 8, the 16th United States Infantry Regiment and 18th United States Infantry Regiment captured Bonn, Germany, while the 26th Infantry Regiment secured the flank. On March 15, CT 26 crossed the Rhine River at the Remagen bridgehead and on March 17 began an attack to the northeast. On March 25, the 3rd Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment and the 18th Infantry Regiment captured Ukerath, Germany, which was used as a base for the 1st Infantry Division's participation in the encirclement of the Ruhr Pocket.[notes 1] On April 9, 1945, Seitz was appointed to a brigadier general's position as assistant division commander of the 69th Infantry Division (United States). The 69th Infantry Division met the Soviet Union's 5th Guards Army at the Elbe River in Germany on April 25, 1945.
Due to the end of the war in Europe on May 8, 1945, the freeze of promotions, the subsequent reduction in the size of the U.S. Army and the return of Regular Army officers to their previous Regular Army grades, Seitz did not receive promotion to the grade of brigadier general until just before his service in the Korean War in 1953. One of his assignments after World War II was to return to Germany in 1950 for another tour as commander of the 26th Infantry Regiment on occupation duty. In the final weeks of the Korean War, Seitz was appointed Assistant Division Commander of the 45th Infantry Division (United States) at his new grade of brigadier general. He remained in Korea after the war and soon was appointed Commanding General of the 2nd Infantry Division. Seitz's duties during the tense aftermath of the Korean War armistice included intensive training of the Republic of Korea Army. He returned to the United States in September 1954 and was promoted to major general. Among Seitz's assignments after his service in Korea and before his assignment as Deputy Commander of the 1st U.S. Army were Commander of Camp Kilmer, New Jersey and Chief of the New Jersey Military District, 1954–1956; Chief of the Military Assistance Advisory Group, Iran, 1956–1958; Chief of Staff of the 1st United States Army at Fort Jay on Governors Island, New York 1958–1961; and Chief of Staff of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Allied Forces, Southern Europe 1962–1964.
- ^ Weingartner, Steven, ed. Gorman, Paul F. Blue Spaders: The 26th Infantry Regiment, 1917–1967. Archived 2016-12-15 at the Wayback Machine Wheaton, IL: Cantigny First Division Foundation, 1996. ISBN 978-1890093006. Retrieved August 5, 2016. p. 113.
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