Lieutenant General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the battlefield, who was norma ...

Jonathan Owen Seaman (December 11, 1911 – February 18, 1986) was a career officer in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

and a combat commander in

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

and the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...

Education and early career

Seaman was born in

Manila Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the Capital of the Philippines, capital and second-most populous city of the Philippines after Quezon City, with a population of 1,846,513 people in 2020. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay on ...

, Philippines, the son of a

officer, Brigadier General Albert Owen Seaman and his wife, Florence Thompson (Look) Seaman, 11 December 1911. He was appointed to

United States Military Academy The United States Military Academy (USMA), commonly known as West Point, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York that educates cadets for service as Officer_(armed_forces)#United_States, comm ...

, graduating with the class of 1934 and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the 16th Field Artillery at Fort Myer, Virginia. In December 1935 to 1938, Seaman served as a White House military aide. After a teaching assignment at West Point in 1939, he was promoted to captain with the 4th Field Artillery at Fort Bragg.

Military career

By 1942 Seaman was a major and battalion commander in the 4th Field Artillery regiment. He served in World War II in both European and Pacific theaters. From 1953 to 1954, Seaman commanded the 30th Field Artillery Group at Yorkhof Kaserne, Germany. Seaman was honored in 1999 by the 30th Field Artillery when the 3rd Battalion headquarters at Fort Sill, Oklahoma was named "Seaman Hall".

Vietnam War

As a major general in 1965, Seaman was named commander of the 1st Infantry Division at

Fort Riley Fort Riley is a United States Army installation located in North Central Kansas, on the Kansas River, also known as the Kaw, between Junction City and Manhattan. The Fort Riley Military Reservation covers 101,733 acres (41,170 ha) in Ge ...

, Kansas. The 1st Infantry Division was the first army combat division to be called up for service during the

, arriving in theater in July 1965, with Seaman being the first of six combat commanders during the war. In March 1966, Seaman was promoted to commander of

II Field Force II Field Force, Vietnam was a United States Army Corps-level command during the Vietnam War. Activated on 15 March 1966, it became the largest corps command in Vietnam and one of the largest in Army history. II Field Force was assigned the linea ...

, a 100,000 man fighting force that included the 1st Division, along with two other divisions and several independent brigades. In 1967, Seaman returned stateside and assumed command of

First United States Army First Army is the largest OC/T organization in the U.S. Army, comprising two divisions, ten brigades, and more than 7,500 Soldiers. Its mission is to partner with the U.S. Army National Guard and U.S. Army Reserve to enable leaders and deli ...

Fort Meade Fort George G. Meade is a United States Army installation located in Maryland, that includes the Defense Information School, the Defense Media Activity, the United States military bands#Army Field Band, United States Army Field Band, and the head ...

, Maryland. Seaman was the deciding official in cases of 13 officers involved in the failure to investigate or cover up the 1968 My Lai massacre during the

Retirement

In 1971, Seaman retired to

Beaufort, South Carolina Beaufort ( , different from that of Beaufort, North Carolina) is a city in Beaufort County, South Carolina, United States, and its county seat. Chartered in 1711, it is the second-oldest city in South Carolina, behind Charleston, South Carolina ...

, after 37 years of active duty. Seaman died at the Veterans Administration Hospital in

Charleston, South Carolina Charleston is the List of municipalities in South Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The city lies just south of the geographical midpoint of South Carolina's coastline on Charleston Harbor, an inlet of the Atla ...

, on February 18, 1986, at age 74, He was buried at the

Beaufort National Cemetery Beaufort National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery in Beaufort, South Carolina. Managed by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, it encompasses , and as of 2024, had over 28,725 interments. History The original inter ...

. Seaman was married to Mary Grunert, daughter of United States Army general and former First United States Army commander

George Grunert George Grunert (July 21, 1881 – January 12, 1971) was a United States Army cavalry officer who worked his way up through the ranks from private to retirement as a lieutenant general. His 47-year career extended from the Spanish–American War ...

References

* *

External links

Operation Cedar Falls
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Seaman, Jonathan O. 1911 births 1986 deaths United States Army personnel of the Korean War United States Army personnel of the Vietnam War United States Army personnel of World War II Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United States) Recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal (US Army) Recipients of the Legion of Merit United States Army generals United States Military Academy alumni