517th Parachute Regimental Combat Team

Lt. Col. Dick Seitz

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1. Looking down on wedding reception attendees June 23, 1945, Joigny, France

2. Betty Jean Merrill in her Red Cross uniform shortly before her wedding.

3. Dick and Betty Seitz cutting wedding cake June 23, 1945, Joigny, France

4. The honor guard and mingling guests on church steps after wedding

June 23, 1945

5. Bride (Betty Merrill) and groom (Dick Seitz) as they exit church

6. Betty cutting cake

7. Dick and Betty at wedding reception June 23, 1945

Joigny, France

8. Dad (Dick Seitz) and Mama (Betty Merrill) in Mama's commandeered German staff BMW

9. Parachute decoration at the wedding reception

June 23, 1945

10. "Festooned" honeymoon car surrounded by 517th men and Maid of Honor, Alice Gould

11. Wedding party - Tom Cross (Best Man), Alice Gould (Maid of Honor), Dad, Mama, and Col. Graves, who gave the bride away

12. Dick Seitz in front of 2nd BN Command Post

13. Dick Seitz in Italy 1944

14. The honor guard and mingling guests on church steps after wedding

June 23, 1945

15. Wedding party (Tom Cross, Alice Gould, Dad, Mama, and Col. Graves) and guests

16. My mother, Bettie, in Holland in January 1945. Why she is pictured totting a weapon I don't know, but she wrote on the back of the picture, "Just after making a batch of donuts!"

17. Honeymoon Hotel. 70 kms south of Joigny, France

18. Wedding present photo to Mama from the 2nd Battalion

19. Joseph A. Francoeur, the Catholic Chaplain who married Dad and Mom on the steps of the church

20. Joigny and its bridge

21. Arial shot of Joigny

22. Wedding church

23. Dave Armstrong, Dad, Tom Cross. (l-r)

Dave Armstrong, ultimately ended up being a battalion commander. Dad says that he has an interesting story -- he was a West Point graduate, got kicked out of the Army, came back on his own as an enlisted man, and was promoted to Second Lt. and the rest is history.

24. Mama (Betty Merrill) in Holland in Feb 1945

25. Mama (Betty Merrill) Early 1945

26. Mama and three guys on the border of Germany spring 1945

27. Mama (Betty Merrill) at the time of Photo #24

28. Mama (Betty Merrill) in German staff BMW commandeered for the American Red Cross