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World War IIUS Army194th Glider Infantry Regiment, 17th Airborne Division Service Number: 37344194 Born: January 14, 1917 Inducted: April 5, 1943 - Denver Killed in action April 6, 1945 in Germany Buried: April 1949, Fort McPherson National Cemetery, Maxwell, Nebraska |
Son of M.W. Seward of Laird. Husband of Velma Proehl Seward.
Wray Gazette May 10, 1945
CPL B. E. SEWARD DIES OF WOUNDS ON APRIL 6TH
Memorial Service at Laird Sunday for Young Father Killed in Germany.Corporal Byron E Seward, whose wife, Mrs. Velma Seward of Laird received a notice on April 18, that her husband had been seriously wounded in Germany on April 6, died that same day, it was learned by his family last week. He is a son of Mr. and Mrs. M. W. Seward of Laird.
In his honor a memorial service will be held at the Laird Methodist church Sunday afternoon at 2 o'clock Rev. Louis Haruf will conduct the service and present the obituary and eulogy and the memorial address. Music will be by Mr. and Mrs. B.R. Goodhead, and the ritual at the shrine and the presentation of the gold star will be by the Veterans of Foreign Wars.
Corporal Seward was born on January 24, 1917, near Laird and spent his childhood there, attending school and growing to manhood in that community. On March 12, 1938, he and Velma Proehl were married. Four children were born to them, Elton Clark, who preceded his father in death, and three remaining sons, Russell, Freddie and Paul, who reside with their mother in Laird.
The deceased was employed as a ranch foreman at Imperial, Nebraska at the time he entered the armed services. He reported at Fort Logan reception center and took his basic training at Camp McCall, North Carolina, where he was transferred into the 17th Air Borne division and took his glider training. He received his air borne commando training at Camp Forrest, Tennessee, and received his wings as qualified parachutist. Maneuvers there completed his training. He came home on his last visit on furlough on April 1, 1944. He returned to camp and left for overseas on August 12, 1944.
He spent some time in England and went into action with the 17th last December, being attached to General Patton's Third army. he fought in the Bastogne area, helping relieve the siege of the One Hundred First airborne division, and helping the Third and First armies erase the Ardennes bulge. His division was in the vanguard of the Third Army troops which cracked the Siegfried line opposite Luxembourg. In March the division was returned to France, reorganized and played a major part in the cross Rhine airborne operations which established the lower Rhine bridgehead for the Ninth army.
Surviving Corporal Seward are his widow, Velma; his three sons; his parents; two sisters, Mrs. Herbert Drumright of Denver and Miss Alice Seward of Laird; three brothers, Ben of Portland, Oregon, Robert of Laird, and T/Sgt. Marion, now serving in the United States Army, his grandmother, Mrs. Annie Seward, and many less near relatives.
Yuma Pioneer, March 24, 1949
Body of Laird Man Being Returned
The bodies of nineteen Colorado boys, who lost their lives in the European theatre of operations during World War II were on the way home Thursday aboard the United States army transport Haiti Victory. The Colorado dead were among 2,918 aboard the transport. The bodies were removed from military cemeteries in northern France, Holland and Luxembourg. Next of kin of the army and air force war dead will be notified by the army shortly before the ship's arrival in the United States and again after the bodies are received at regional distribution centers.
Among the bodies being returned is that of T-5 Byron E. Seward of Laird, son of Mr. and Mrs. M.W. Seward of Laird, and a brother of Bob Seward of Yuma. He is also survived by three sons, Russell, Fred and Paul of the Laird community.
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