WKOW 27: Madison, WI Breaking News, Weather and SportsFriends, relatives of Fort Hood Shooting victim bid farewell

Friends, relatives of Fort Hood Shooting victim bid farewell

WONEWOC (WKOW) -- There was silence in Wonewoc on Monday as a small community buried one of the thirteen soldiers shot to death at Fort Hood.

Friends and colleagues still can't believe the tragedy happened not at war, but on American soil.

The questions concerning what happened at Fort Hood will linger. Monday, however, was about pausing and remembering Army Reserve Captain Russell Seager.

With flags waving outside Wonewoc-Center School, with relatives in grief, there were few answers about Seager's death.

There were many memories about his life as people gathered to the school for his visitation and funeral.

"This was his dream to be in the military," said Lt. Col. Susan Palmer. Palmer is part of the 452nd Combat Support Hospital when Seager joined the unit four years ago.

"When he came in, as some of us have been in for a while, you don't know anything about the military, including rank, salutes, uniforms," she said. "He had a lot of questions. He was motivated to learn these things, to do these things properly."

"He was always someone who we could turn to and have a straight answer about anything," added Specialist Jeremy Rezin, also with the 452nd.

Seager's family has roots around Wonewoc. It's here where colleagues described his passion to treat those with post traumatic stress disorder. A nurse practitioner at Milwaukee's VA medical center, Seager sought to deploy overseas for the first time at age 51. He would have left with Madison-based 467th Medical Detachment. It was the reason he was at a processing center at Fort Hood when Major Nidal Hasan opened fire, allegedly killing thirteen total and injuring dozens more.

"One of the reasons (Seager) might have joined was to get his foot in the door at the VA because that's what he wanted to do," said reservist Capt. Darcie Greuel, who worked with Seager at the VA. "He wanted to work with veterans."

"It always is something we take personally when a service member is killed in the line of duty more than when a civilian is killed," added Palmer. "When it's somebody you know personally, it just gets to you a little bit harder."

A procession then carried Seager's casket to neighboring Pine Eden cemetery, where his mother is buried. Russell Seager will keep his roots in Wonewoc. The memories will stay here as well..

"He's a great person," said Rezin. "He will be missed dearly."

Many people who didn't know Captain Seager also attended Monday's services. They said they graduated from the school and described themselves as patriotic. For them, showing up was they right thing to do.

Seager is survived by his wife and a 20-year old-son.

The other fallen soldier from Wisconsin, Staff Sgt. Amy Krueger, was laid to rest Saturday in Kiel.