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Oscar Miles Seale Jr.

1LT in 23rd Headquarters Co

ASN#38019178

Born 1917 in AR, Died 2001

County of residence at enlistment: Oklahoma County, OK
Other residence(s): Oklahoma City, OK
United States Army, European Theatre of Operations
Occupation before the war: semiskilled routemen
College education before the war: Univ. of the Ozarks 1 year
Notes: 01013504; Legion of Merit Award; Capt., GO #35, Sec II, Hq ETOUSA, 14 Mar 45. Meritorious Service: Task Force Commander, France and Luxembourg, 1 Jul-22 Sep 44; temporary promotion to CPT in 1944
Source: Roster of 23d HQ officers, from family of Oscar Seale; Awards and Decorations; bio info from The Ghost Army by Beyer/Sayles; photo courtesy Kim Seale

Oscar Seale was born on February 17, 1917 in Van Buren, AR, the younger of two sons. In 1935, he graduated from Northside High School in Fort Smith, AR where he ran track, served on the staff of both the yearbook and school newspaper, and was a member of the debate society and the National Honor Society.

He went on to graduate from the College of the Ozarks (now the University of the Ozarks) in Clarksville, AR, and married Doris Gail McCance shortly after graduation.

He registered for the draft on October 16, 1940, at which time he was working as a salesman for Graham Paper Company. He enlisted on February 25, 1941 and ended up earning a commission as a 2LT. He was promoted to 1LT, and then earned a temporary promotion to CPT in May, 1944. He became a member of the 23 HQ Company of the Ghost Army, serving overseas with the unit.

In his book, The Ghost Army of World War II, Rick Beyer describes a deception Oscar conducted in 1944. "During Operation Brittany, Captain Oscar Seale and Private Charles Gorman hit upon a handy means to carry out their deception. They went into more than a dozen bars in Rennes in the guise of Eightieth Infantry Division MPs. Each time, they announced loudly to any GIs within that the bar was now off limits and ordered them to finish their drinks and scram. Seale and Gorman made sure to have a drink or two in each one, spreading the word of the Eightieth’s arrival. By the end of the evening, everybody in town “knew” the Eightieth was moving in."

Oscar and Doris had divorced in 1941, and on November 1, 1946 he married Dorris A. Pappas. They relocated to Dallas, TX and would go on to have two children: Jann and Kim.

Oscar and his older brother Neal formed a manufacturer's rep firm, S&S Sales Co., that served the hardware industry in the Southwest for 40 years.

At some point, Oscar and Dorris divorced and he married Celia Medow Barab, and became stepfather to her three children.

He died on October 10, 2001 in Dallas, and is buried at Restland Memorial Park there.

Sources:

1930 census (both he and his father using middle name of Miles)

https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/6224/images/4532452_01063?usePUB=true&_phsrc=kdl10&_phstart=successSource&usePUBJs=true&pId=23791251

1935 high school yearbook

www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/468162046:1265?tid=&pid=&queryId=9edb586831b74fc46e40e6dbb932a209&_phsrc=URU8&_phstart=successSource

1939 marriage record

https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=61379&h=63950079&tid=&pid=&queryId=d4481159affb3fcc23093fd694736344&usePUB=true&_phsrc=Cvt7&_phstart=successSource

1939 article in The Daily Oklahoman about his wedding

https://www.newspapers.com/image/444456424/?terms=oscar%20m%20seale&match=2

1940 census

https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/86026054:2442?tid=&pid=&queryId=72b02f37998d94e18ada7163ad55e8cc&_phsrc=Cvt4&_phstart=successSource

1940 draft card

https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=2238&h=13900983&tid=&pid=&queryId=72b02f37998d94e18ada7163ad55e8cc&usePUB=true&_phsrc=Cvt1&_phstart=successSource

1941 enlistment record

https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=8939&h=1045078&tid=&pid=&queryId=72b02f37998d94e18ada7163ad55e8cc&usePUB=true&_phsrc=Cvt2&_phstart=successSource

1944 article in the Seminole Producer (OK) re his promotion to Captain

https://www.newspapers.com/image/590006812/?terms=oscar%20m%20seale&match=1

1946 marriage record

https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=61379&h=64049268&tid=&pid=&queryId=72b02f37998d94e18ada7163ad55e8cc&usePUB=true&_phsrc=Cvt6&_phstart=successSource

1946 article in the Okemah News Leader (OK) re his 1946 wedding

https://www.newspapers.com/image/595919602/?article=37528db6-f24f-4700-99ef-74dae1563b63&focus=0.010211243,0.124125786,0.26998305,0.49653324&xid=3398&_ga=2.179585698.782315800.1617218007-1372194908.1617218007

1969 article in the Dallas Morning News re his sales accomplishments

https://www.genealogybank.com/doc/newspapers/image/v2%3A0F99DDB671832188%40GB3NEWS-0FDF1D9097A2AEFE%402440533-0FDF1D9149C66248%4058-0FDF1D948DA37ADB%40Million-Dollar%2BReps%2BHonored?h=3&fname=oscar%20m&lname=seale&fullname=&rgfromDate=1935&rgtoDate=2001&formDate=&formDateFlex=exact&dateType=range&kwinc=&kwexc=&sid=jymqrixhvhtjoyiwjcdiohasmauoefcp_wma-gateway013_1617219949358

2001 Social Security death record

https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/43594609:60901?tid=&pid=&queryId=72b02f37998d94e18ada7163ad55e8cc&_phsrc=Cvt8&_phstart=successSource

2001 Find a Grave record

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/111914501/oscar-miles-seale

2001 obituary in the Rutland Daily Herald (VT)

https://www.newspapers.com/image/534885877/?article=1bcaa5c4-7200-4e93-bd9f-bbea6b101955&focus=0.033071168,0.5341332,0.19508341,0.70630115&xid=3355&_ga=2.147513393.782315800.1617218007-1372194908.1617218007

2008 obituary of his wife Celia

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/30298775/celia-barab-seale

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