Gerontology Research Group
Perhaps because he served for Germany, no one noticed his status as a World War I veteran until his family contacted the Gerontology Research Group in May 2007. He told of problems such as food shortages and low morale among the German soldiers. Seegers was one of the last four World War I veterans to be discovered so far, the others being Yakup Satar of Turkey, Raymond Cambefort of France and Enrico Garbuglia of Italy (who died not long after having been discovered). Interviewed in May 2007 by GRG correspondent Robert Young, William was photographed in June 2007 by former presidential photographer David DeJonge as part of a 'surviving World War I veterans' project. He died the following month, three months before what would have been his 107th birthday.