September 5, 1924 - September 23, 1997

Seth Payne was a US Merchant Marine during World War II and ferried troops and equipment to Normandy from the day after D-Day through December, 1944. After graduating from Georgetown School of Foreign Service in 1950, he served as a Lt. Commander in the Navy during the Korean Conflict. He planted intelligence personnel behind enemy lines and was awarded a Bronze Star for rescuing a downed Navy pilot under fire. He was an intelligence officer and aide for Cuban affairs in Guantanamo Bay until he retired in 1954. From 1955 until 1994 he served as a Space Expert for Business Week Magazine covering everything from the Soviet Sputnik to the US shuttle program.