Major General John Francis Regis "Jeff" Seitz was a career United States Army officer who, after serving in World War II and the Korean War, retired as Deputy Commander of the First United States Army in 1966. Seitz graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, in 1929. He served in several assignments before commanding a battalion at Schofield Barracks at Oahu, Hawaii, on December 7, 1941, during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. After the United States entered the Second World War, Seitz served in important staff positions from early 1942 to late 1943. He was highly decorated for his service as colonel commanding the 26th United States Infantry Regiment in combat in the European Theater of World War II for most of the remainder of the war, which was especially distinguished.

The 26th Infantry Regiment is an infantry regiment of the United States Army. Its nickname is "Blue Spaders", taken from German soldiers in World War I, seeing the spade-like device on the regiment's distinctive unit insignia, and calling those soldiers “Blauerspadern”. The 26th Infantry Regiment is part of the U.S. Army Regimental System; currently only the 1st Battalion is active and assigned to the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division.