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James Albert Seeley (Son of Jesse Freeman Seeley and Annie Mae Barker)
Born: July 17, 1923, Chester County, Tennessee
Died: January 11, 1946, World War II, South Pacific
Married: Polly McKenzie
James Albert (called Albert by family) was born in Chester county, Tennessee and lived there until he was about 16 when the family moved to Jackson. While living in Jackson he graduated from High School and worked until entering the Army Air Force.
Albert enlisted in the Army Air Force January 25, 1943. He completed mechanics school at Sheppard Field, Texas and gunnery school at Ft. Myers, Florida before going overseas in November 1944. In the South Pacific he was a crewmember on a F-7B (a B-24 predestinated after modification for Photo Mapping) in the 20th Combat Mapping Squadron, 5th Air Force. On January 11, 1945 his aircraft departed Morotai Island on a mission to Southeast Luzon. In the vicinity of Mindanao, his aircraft, and two others encountered extremely bad weather. The flight leader, Lt. Olsen, radioed Lt. Riley (Pilot of Albert’s aircraft) to turn back. Lt. Riley said he was making his turn, but was never heard from again. The aircraft and crew were never found. In 1993 a memorial marker for Sgt. Seeley was erected in the National Cemetery at Chattanooga, Tennessee.
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