TSGT Frederick Theodore Sebers died on 8 November 1967 at Madigan Army Hospital, Tacoma WA, of wounds received on 7 September 1967 when an enemy Claymore mine detonated near his table when he was dining at a local NCO club in Nha Trang, Vietnam.
TSGT Sebers was born on 25 October 1926 in Everett, WA. His service to his country began at the age of 16 during World War II when he enlisted in the Navy and manned a 50-caliber machine gun aboard a landing craft at Okinawa. After the war, Sebers left the Navy, but reenlisted in 1949.
In 1953, he left the Navy and joined the U.S. Air Force as a parachute rigger and stunt jumper. After a few close calls, he cross-trained into the intelligence career field, as a communications analyst in 1959. TSGT Sebers’ first assignment as an analyst took him back to Okinawa. After Okinawa, he had a tour in Taiwan before returning to Goodfellow AFB, TX, in 1964 as a member of the 6948th Security Squadron.
During his assignment at Goodfellow, TSGT Sebers volunteered to join the new Airborne Radio Direction Finding mission and arrived at Nha Trang Air Base, Republic of Vietnam in the summer of 1967. For the next few months he served as an airborne communications analyst with Det 1, 6994th Security Squadron aboard the EC-47 ARDF aircraft.
TSGT Sebers’ awards and decorations include the Purple Heart, Air Medal, National Defense Service Medal (w/BSS); the World War II Victory Medal; Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, American Campaign Medal, Army of Occupation Medal with Germany Clasp; Navy Occupation Service Medal; Navy Good Conduct Medal; Air Force Good Conduct Medal (w/3 Bronze loops); and the Vietnam Service Medal (w/BSS).
TSGT Sebers is interred in the Mountain View Cemetery, Tacoma, WA. His name is engraved on the Vietnam Veteran Memorial Wall on Panel 29E, line 44.
In September 2006, Goodfellow AFB, TX named one of its buildings Fred Seber Hall in TSGT Sebers’ honor.
