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<p><em>Colonel William Bentley “Bill” Seely</em> of Carlisle, PA passed away on October 20, 2022 at age 86. Bill was born at Fort Snelling, MN and was the son of the late Colonel Theodore A. and Eugenia Charis Seely. He attended Meguro High School in Tokyo, Japan and Washington-Lee High School in Arlington, VA. He looked up to his older brother, Ted, who graduated from West Point in 1950, and continued the tradition Ted started. Bill was accepted into USMA, Company H-1. He was best known as a Rabble Rouser and a member of the Glee Club. He graduated in 1957 with a Bachelor of Science degree in engineering and a commission as a second lieutenant in the Infantry. After graduation, Bill married Patricia “Patt” Green, another Army brat, in Colorado Springs, CO, where Patt’s parents were stationed.</p>
<p>Bill’s 30-year career was mostly in the Infantry and as a foreign area specialist in Latin America. He had a master’s degree in social psychology from UT Austin and taught psychology and leadership at USMA. He was a member of the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, NC and studied at the Defense Language Institute in Fort Ord, CA. In Panama, he served as an aide to the Army commander in the Canal Zone and was an instructor at the School of the Americas. He did two tours in Vietnam: first, with the 1st Cavalry Division; second, as an advisor to a Vietnamese unit in the Cu Chi District. He served in the Pentagon’s Office of the Army Reserve and was senior aide to General Omar Bradley. Bill commanded the 3rd Battalion, 7th Infantry Brigade at Fort Benning, GA and was the military group commander at the U.S. Embassy in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Bill attended the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle Barracks and later returned as an instructor. His last assignment in the Army was at the Office of the Secretary of Defense in Washington, DC.</p>
<p>Bill earned many citations during his career, including the Silver Star, the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Bronze Star, the Legion of Merit, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster, the Air Medal with five oak leaf clusters, the Joint Service Commendation Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal (four campaigns), the Combat Infantryman Badge, and his jump wings. He also received the Cruz de las Fuerzas Armadas from Honduras and the Vietnamese Silver Star Cross of Gallantry.</p>
<p>Bill and was active in his church and community throughout his life. He performed in theater (with an emphasis on musicals) and in film. In Washington, DC, he was an avid participant in Hexagon, a nonprofit organization that is committed to creating and staging an original, political, satirical, musical comedy revue each year, both to have fun entertaining and to raise money for local charities.</p>
<p>Bill will be fondly remembered for his wonderful sense of humor, his beautiful baritone voice, and his ability to spontaneously trigger a folk song sing-along whenever he played his guitar.</p>
<p>He is survived by Patt, his loving wife of 64 years; their children and their children’s spouses: William Seely Jr. and Nicole Dewey, Michael and Angel Seely, and Charis Leos and Gregory Deivert; their grandchildren: Ryan, Evan, Trace, Declan, Morgan, Ted, Josh, Nina, Matthew, Shawna, and Austin; and their great-grandchildren: Amerie, Violet, John, Shep, and Yarah.</p>
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