Bernard Raymond Seguin (1916 - 2014)

Born 11 Feb 1916 in Montpelier, Washington, Vermont, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Verna Helen Conrad — married 17 Oct 1941 in Woodsville, NH

Died 17 Oct 2014 at age 98 in Berlin, Washington, Vermont, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Bill Seguin [send private message]

Biography

Bernard Raymond Seguin

He is the son of Ed Seguin and Louise Savard

Bernard "Raymond" Seguin, 98, of Moretown, Vermont, died Friday, October 17, 2014, at Central Vermont Medical Center in Berlin, after a long and full life.

Raymond was born in Montpelier, February 11, 1916, the son of prominent businessman Edward T. and Louise Savard Seguin (Crown Point, New York). His mother died suddenly in 1923 when he was seven years old. In 1926, his father remarried to Florence Ryle of Montpelier, becoming Ray's stepmother.

Raymond was the youngest and only surviving of five children, Doris (William) Clarke, Frederick T. (Kathleen Theriault), Louise (Stanley Nadolski) and Sister Margaret of the Dominican Life. Raymond lived in Montpelier until his retirement in 1970, when he moved to Moretown.

He attended St. Michael's High School, where he played basketball and also joined the Montpelier Band playing the clarinet. He then attended North Hampton Business School in Massachusetts for a year, then University of Pennsylvania for a year, before transferring to the University of Notre Dame, where he continued his band activities, graduating in 1940.

He then returned to Montpelier, to work in his father's gasoline and heating oil business.

In 1960, when the company businesses were sold, Ray began a new fuel oil company, "Seguin Heating Oils," which he ran until his retirement, selling the business at that time.

During his business years, Ray was very active in the community, and as a member of the Kiwanis club was active in the annual auctions and horse shows. In 1959, Ray was elected president of the Kiwanis club.

Ray as Fuel Oil Company Owner and President of the Kiwanis Club

In his retirement years, he had served as fencekeeper for the town of Moretown, backup chauffeur, altar server and usher at St. Patrick's Church in Moretown, supporter and contributor to the Waitsfield Seniors Center and volunteer for Meals on Wheels.

He loved his time maintaining his land, including mowing his own two-acre lawn up until July 3 of this year. He was a very positive person, having purchased his newest "zero radius" riding lawn mower, just two seasons ago. He also adored and enjoyed the company of his two cats, Artie and Blackie, as well as many others before them.

Birth

Ray was born in 1916. in Montpelier, Vermont ^[1]

Marriage

Bernard Raymond Sequin and Verna Conrad, 17 Oct 1941; citing Woodsville, Grafton, New Hampshire ^[2]

Military Service

Raymond Seguin is a Military Veteran.
Served in the United States Army Air Corps 02 Jun 1942-19 Nov 1945
rank= First Lieutenant

Raymond Seguin was awarded the Purple Heart.

In 1942, he enlisted in the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC), becoming a B-25 bomber pilot. In 1944, shortly after arriving in Corsica, Italy, Raymond was wounded during a night air raid by the Germans. He served the remainder of the war as a pilot trainer. Following the war, Ray returned to Montpelier and resumed working with his brother, Fred, in their dad's business. ^[3]

Ray in Army Air Force

/ Ray is listed here as member of Army Air Corps

Ray's summary of service.

Enlisted in Air Force In November 1942 in Rutland, Vermont. Ward was three months old, I went to Nashville, Tennessee for initial processing. I was there for a month and at Christmas time. Next I went to Montgomery, Alabama --Jan and Feb --1943. I spent two months here going to school.

Next, I went to Orangeburg, South Carolina, March and April 1943. For primary training, I flew Pt-17’s open cockpit two wing trainer, wore insulated boots and leather sheepskins pants, jacket and hats It was cold flying here. The airplane was fun, narrow wheel base, had to be real careful not to ground loop the plane when landing and damage lower wing. I flew upside down, hanging on by seat belt, feet flew all over the place.

Next, Macon Georgia, May and June --1943. Basic training I flew BT-13’s. We called it the Vultee Vibrator. It had 350 horsepower and we were under a canopy. It was an easy airplane to fly, but wasn't good for stunt flying.

Next Blytheville, Arkansas, July and August --1943. Advanced Training. I flew AT-17’s here. My first twin engine airplane I also flew AT-6 airplane here . This was a single airplane but a great one to fly. Limited flying in this plane but fun. Graduated in August , got my wings, and silver bars --2nd Lieutenant. When i graduated I received a single gold bar, 2nd Lieutenant identification worn on collar of shirt.

Next LaJunta, Colorado September and October--1943. Flew B-25’s first time here. Might have been here a little longer. 100 miles south of Denver and I went to B25 transition school to learn to fly the B25 medium bomber.

Then assigned to a crew, flew down to Brazil from staging area in Florida. Flew over to the Rock in Atlantic ocean. Then on to Africa. Then up to island of Corsica on May 11, I believe.

When he was stationed in South Carolina, one of the large planes was parked too close to the taxiway and another plane taxied in and clipped it's wing. The mechanic was court-martialed for not parking the plane properly thus damaging the planes.

Out of the blue they asked dad to represent the mechanic in the trial. Gave him a booklet to read on what to do. He got the mechanic off from the charges.

Doesn't remember much about what he did but it was a 3 - half day trial. Dad the lieutenant facing a jury of colonels

I went on one mission to bomb railroad tracks in Italy, target cloud covered. so brought bombs back. Same night, I was hit by bullet on the ground in my tent (May 13, 1944, on Friday the 13th--lucky day for me, by German plane strafers. I spent about a week here in emergency hospital. Then I was sent back to Algiers to a more permanent hospital for about a month. The Germans were on the Island of Alba about 7 miles from Corsica.

Listed here as Purple Heart recipient

Then flown to New York City Hospital for about two weeks. Then to Westover Air Base, Springfield, Mass in June and I was here until November. Then sent to a B-25 base in Georgia, can't remember name of base I was here about a month, then sent to San Antonio, Texas for instructor training. I was here at Christmas time. Might have been here two months. Then back to Georgia, same base as above, must have been January, 1944. Got transferred out to Charleston, South Carolina and into B-24 airplanes, four engines.

I had personnel send a letter to New York telling them I was a B-25 pilot and luckily I was sent back to Greenville, South Carolina from about May 1945, until November when I was sent back to Westover Field, Springfield, Mass for discharge in November 1945.

(pictures of the various planes are shown on the Seguin Family Website^[4]

/ About The United States Army Air Corps

Death and Burial

He died in Central Vermont Hospital, Berlin, Vermont, age 98. He is buried in Irasville Cemetery, Waitsfield, Vermont - Find a Grave, ^[5]

Family

Ray and Verna raised four children in Montpelier:

His family includes seven grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews in the states of California, Delaware, Florida, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Texas and Vermont.

Research Notes

Name: Bernard Raymond Seguin

Event Type: Birth

Event Date: 11 Feb 1916

Event Place: Montpelier, Vermont, United States

Gender: Male

Father's Name: Edward T Seguin

Mother's Name: Louise Savard

GS Film Number: 002051519

Digital Folder Number: 007011717

Image Number: 02764

Name: Bernard Raymond Sequin

Event Type: Marriage

Event Date: 17 Oct 1941

Event Place: Woodsville, Grafton, New Hampshire

Age: 25

Birth Year (Estimated): 1916

Father's Name: Edward T. Sequin

Mother's Name: Louise Savard

Spouse's Name: Verna Helen Conrad

Spouse's Titles and Terms:

Spouse's Age: 24

Spouse's Birth Year (Estimated): 1917

Spouse's Father's Name: William George Conrad

Spouse's Mother's Name: Cora Ann Eaton

GS Film number: 2294250

Digital Folder Number: 4244858

Image Number: 1989

Name: Bernard R Seguin

Name: SEGUIN BERNARD R

Event Type: Military Service

Event Date: 02 Jun 1942

Term of Enlistment:

Event Place: Rutland, Vermont, United States

Residence Place:

Race: White

Citizenship Status: citizen

Birth Year: 1916

Birthplace: VERMONT

Education Level: 4 years of college

Civilian Occupation: Clerks, general office

Marital Status: Married

Military Rank: Private

Army Branch: Air Corps

Army Component: Reserves - exclusive of Regular Army Reserve and Officers of the Officers Reserve Corps on active duty under the Thomason Act (Officers and Enlisted Men -- O.R.C. and E.R.C., and Nurses-Reserve Status)

Source Reference: Civil Life

Serial Number: 11056202

Affiliate Publication Title: Electronic Army Serial Number Merged File, ca. 1938-1946

Affiliate ARC Identifier: 1263923

Box Film Number: 00621.55

Name: Bernard Seguin

Event Type: Burial

Event Date: 2014

Event Place: Waitsfield, Washington, Vermont, United States of America

Photograph Included: N

Birth Date: 11 Feb 1916

Death Date: 17 Oct 2014

Affiliate Record Identifier: 137499797

Cemetery: Irasville Cemetery

• Bill Seguin, firsthand knowledge. Click the Changes tab for the details of edits by Bill and others.

Sources

1. ↑ "Vermont Vital Records, 1760-1954," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2V7X-J1G : 6 December 2014), Bernard Raymond Seguin, 11 Feb 1916, Birth; State Capitol Building, Montpelier; FHL microfilm 2,051,519.
2. ↑ "New Hampshire Marriage Records, 1637-1947," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FLXT-RRF : 4 November 2017), Bernard Raymond Sequin and Verna Helen Conrad, 17 Oct 1941; citing Woodsville, Grafton, New Hampshire, Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics, Concord; FHL microfilm 2,294,250.
3. ↑ "United States World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K8LX-F1X : 5 December 2014), Bernard R Seguin, enlisted 02 Jun 1942, Rutland, Vermont, United States; citing "Electronic Army Serial Number Merged File, ca. 1938-1946," database, The National Archives: Access to Archival Databases (AAD) (http://aad.archives.gov : National Archives and Records Administration, 2002); NARA NAID 1263923, National Archives at College Park, Maryland.
4. ↑ http://seguins.us.
5. ↑ https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/137499797/bernard-seguin