Harold Seay

Funeral services for Harold Seay, 93, of Capitan will be Thursday, February 9, at 10:30 AM in Trinity Southern Baptist Church at Capitan. Burial will follow at the Ft. Stanton Cemetery at Ft. Stanton. Harold passed away Sunday, February 5, 2012 in Ruidoso.

Harold Seay is survived his wife, Earnestine, of 62 years.
one son is deceased, Ernest Ernie Seay.
three sons surviving Roy Seay wife Sheila Lubbock Steve Seay Capitan Capt. Sean Seay wife Sonyia US Army Tacoma, Wa..
two daughters Ginger Perini Lubbock and Kathy Nichols Lom Poc, Calif.
13 grandchildren and 5 great grandchildren.
and one brother still living, Rev. John Seay Sacramento, Calif. he is 95 yrs. .

Harold Seay was born in Bartlett, Texas in 1918 and grew up on the family farm in BeltonSalado, Texas and later on the Roswell Farm which was just east of the new Roswell Zoo.
He was a star athlete in all sports in High School and was named the Bell County Athlete of the year his Senior year.
Harold worked for his Uncle in the tile business San Angelo, Texas and went to college he played semipro baseball for 1 season and then decided to join the Army when the war was starting. He volunteered for a new special forces group that needed athletes to train as paratroopers. He was in 509th Paratrooper Infantry Division PIB were the first American Unit in history to jump into combat, he made 4 combat jumps in Operation Torch and the invasion of Italy. Captured by a German panzer unit and was held as a POW in Stalag 2B...After the war he worked for Phillips 66 on a drilling rig and started his dream of a family. He retired in 1966 from Phillips 66 and leased part of his Dads old farm in Roswell, as well as have Seays Phillips 66 Service Station next to the Coca Cola Plant on Main S opened the the old Big T Truck Stop on 2nd St. and a Shamrock Station on 2nd St. He also drove a truck for Holsum Bakery.
He retired again in 1983 and moved to the mountains where he built his dream home in Capitan. Active in Capitan activities from Tiger HS booster club to the County Fair. Harold was honored on the Wall of Heroes at Cannon Air Force Base in Clovis, NM and PIB Hall of Fame Fort Bragg, NC. He was in the unit photo with the 509th history at the Smithsonian.
The surviving 509th were invited to Washington, DC to march in the 200 year anniversary of Americas independence where he and his fellow troopers participated.
Several books were written about the 509th Stand In The Door, The Boldest Plan is the Best Plan, The Rising Tide others.

He was a member of Trinity Southern Baptist Church in Capitan 509er Paratroopers Association VFW POWMIA Association, DAV Cactus State 7 New Mexico, American ExPrisoner of War Albuquerque Chapter 1. and was very active in Henry Kissingingers WWII Memorial Wall in Washington DC.

Visitation

LaGrone Funeral Chapel of Ruidoso
341 Sudderth Dr.
Ruidoso, NM  88345
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
3:00 PM until 5:00 PM

Service

Memorial Service

Trinity Baptist ChurchP
700 Mount Capitan Road
Capitan, NM  88316
Thursday, February 9, 2012
10:30 AM

Cemetery

Ft. Stanton Cemetery
Ft. Stanton Road
Ft. Stanton, NM  88323