POSTHUMOUS HONOR

Saratoga County's Honor Deceased Veterans Ceremony recognizes Corinth vet

BALLSTON SPA, N.Y. » The Saratoga County Board of Supervisors and the Saratoga County Veterans Service Agency recently held its monthly Honor Deceased Veterans Program at the County Building in Ballston Spa with a ceremony honoring John W. Seaman of Corinth.

Seaman entered the New York Army National Guard on Aug. 17, 1959 as a Wheeled-Vehicle Mechanic. He served with the 247th Medical Company. From Jan. 8 to 27, 1990, he was part of the operation, REFORGER90, (REturn FORces to GERmany), a deployment to Germany in the aftermath of the fall of the Berlin Wall, to support active troops with military medical support.

For this deployment he was awarded the Army Commendation Medal.

He was also a part of the REFORGER92 deploying again to Germany to deliver aid to soldiers. In 1974, his unit received the National Guard Superior Unit Award for maintain the Guard’s highest standards. He retired at the rank of Sergeant First Class E-7, on June 9, 1991. For his service, Seaman received the Army Service Ribbon and the National Defense Service Medal.

Seaman was born on Oct. 17, 1937 in Wantagh, NY to George and Isabel Seaman. In 1942, he and his family moved to Greenfield to start a family farm, where he discovered his passions, tomatoes, and motors. In 1961, Seaman married Wanda Dake and together moved to Corinth to raise their children Edward and Lisa.

Seaman worked in the Corinth Central School district for 37 years, retiring as the superintendent of buildings, grounds, maintenance, custodial staff and the bus garage. He served the Village of Corinth on the planning board. He was the former President of Rondac Campers Association and the former Commander of the Horace D. Washburn American Legion Post 533. Seaman passed away on Feb. 28, 2020.

Established in 1999 by the Saratoga County Board of Supervisors, the Honor Deceased Veterans Program provides a way for county leadership and residents to show gratitude for the service of veterans past

and present. The program honors a range of veterans with tremendous stories of service, sacrifice, and historical significance. Honorees include those who gave the ultimate sacrifice in the name of defending our great country and veterans whose stories continued past their military service.

The ceremony is dedicated to a different Saratoga County veteran each month. Board members rotate throughout the year in selecting a veteran to memorialize, providing for veterans from all over the county to be honored. To date, more than 300 Saratoga County Veterans have been honored.

The public is encouraged to show their support of veterans at the Honor Deceased Veterans Ceremony each month.

PHOTO PROVIDED Members of the Seaman family with County and State officials at the Saratoga County Honor Deceased Veterans Ceremony memorializing Army Veteran John W. Seaman of Corinth. Seated left to right: Adam Seaman, Elijah Seaman, Wanda Seaman, Lisa Brault, Noah Seaman, Edward Seaman. Standing left to right: Town of Corinth Supervisor Eric Butler, New York State Assemblyman Matthew Simpson, New York State Senator Jim Tedisco, Chairman of the Saratoga County Board of Supervisors Veterans’ Affairs Committee Tom Richardson (City of Mechanicville), Chairman of the Saratoga County Board of Supervisors Theodore T. Kusnierz, Jr. (Town of Moreau), Korean War Veteran Chaplain Paul O’Keefe, Saratoga County Clerk Craig Hayner, Director of Saratoga County Veterans Services Agency Frank McClement.