William (Bill) A. Manbeck was born in Iron Mountain, Wisconsin in 1926.  He was the son of William L. and Delores Manbeck.   He had an older sister Ill Mae, and a younger sister named Betty Lou. Bill graduated from the Eagle River High School, and enlisted in the United States Navy immediately upon his graduation in May of 1942.  Initially, he served on board the USS Electra, an attack cargo ship.  He was then assigned to small boat unit amphibious forces, and became the Coxswain of an LCM  (Landing Craft Mechanized.)  It appears that he participated in the landings at Normandy.  Following that, he was assigned to Navy Task Group 122.5, which was to assist the United States Army in the crossing of the Rhine.  He was severely injured in a motorcycle accident on 13 March 1945.  He died the following day at the 128th Evacuation Hospital, which at the time was located at Euskirchen, Germany. 

Information provided by Rob Crutzen (see the documents in the download section)