Kansas State University ROTC alumni to be inducted into Army ROTC Hall of Fame
Wednesday, May 25, 2016
MANHATTAN — Two retired U.S. Army officers who were commissioned through Kansas State University's Army ROTC program will be inducted into the national Army ROTC Hall of Fame on June 10.
The new hall of fame is being established at Fort Knox, Kentucky, in honor of the 100th anniversary of the U.S. Army ROTC.
Being inducted for the national distinction are retired Col. H. Duane Saunders and retired Lt. Gen. Richard Seitz, a posthumous inductee.
"The induction of two of our most distinguished military alumni into the Army ROTC Hall of Fame is significant in recognizing the enduring role that K-State has played for the past 100 years in producing some of the finest military officers in America," said Arthur S. DeGroat, executive director of military and veterans affairs for Kansas State University. "Today our Army ROTC program is considered a national flagship program. K-State is a premier Army officer-producing institution in the nation."
DeGroat said both Saunders and Seitz will always be remembered as very special people who contributed spectacular achievements to the military.
"Lt. Gen. Seitz's combat experiences are matters of American military history, and he continued to serve the Army in profound ways for the remainder of his life after retiring," DeGroat said. "Col. Saunders was a pioneer in both military and private practice as a physical therapist, educator and medical entrepreneur, where he revolutionized modern physical therapy and sports medicine."
Seitz, who lived in Junction City after his retirement, was buried in the Fort Riley Cemetery.
Saunders continues to serve the U.S. military decades after his retirement. Saunders, originally from Downs, Kansas, now lives in Eden Prairie, Minnesota.
"I am especially proud that these great men were selected for this eternal distinction," DeGroat said. "I am privileged to have known both of them and received their mentorship as we built K-State to become the most military-inclusive university in America. This induction solidifies their place not only in K-State history, but also in national history."
Kansas State University's Army ROTC program is offered through the military sciences department in the College of Arts & Sciences.
