James L Manning was born at Latta , South Carolina on December 3, 1921. He was married with no children and enlisted at age 21 to the U.S.Army after having graduated from the Citadel - the Military College of South Carolina.

He became commanding officer of the 423rd Cannon Company and was send overseas to the European Theater of Operations ( ETO ) with the 106th Infantry Division on October 17, 1944 aboard the Queen Elizabeth.

The 106th Infantry Division with James and his unit arrived in England. The 106th Infantry division remained in England untill the beginning of December 1944, and embarked for the 50 mile trip to Le Havre, France.

After spending the night in the open fields with cold drizzling rain and knee deep mud on December 6, 1944 the 106th Infantry Division receives orders to move to Belgium in the St Vith area. After two days and 207 miles by truck convoy through France and Belgium, James and his unit traveled to the Ardennes just across the border of Germany an area better know as the Schnee-Eifel. Upon arrival they relieved the 2d Infantry Division, man for man and gun for gun.

On December 16, 1944 the Germans started "die Wacht am Rhein" ... the Battle of the Bulge had begun ...

When the Battle of the Bulge began, 423d Cannon Company's 2d Platoon, which earlier had been assigned to help defend the village of Bleialf, received assistance from other units including members of James Manning's company and James himself.

In Bleialf American troops took about 75 prisoners and took some rest near a creamery. At the creamery, a stairway to the 3d floor was demolished ... nobody knew there were Germans up there, they held American prisoners on the 3d floor. One of the Germans fired some rounds with his burpgun out the window of the 3d floor and stepped back grinning to a prisoner, saying he had just killed an American officer who had two bars on his helmet. Apparently this was how Captain Manning was killed, it was December 16, 1944, the first day of the Battle of the Bulge.

For bravery, Captain James L Manning was posthumously awarded the Silver Star and Purple Heart.

James Manning was first buried at the American Provisory Cemetery at Foy

These days James Manning rests in the beautiful American Military Cemetery at Henri-Chapelle ... He is remembered and honored by his family and by Luc de Wachter.

Special thanks to James Manning's family, to Hal Richard Taylor of the 2d Platoon 423 Cannon Company and to Luc de Wachter (Member of the 106th Infantry Association) who wrote James Manning's story.