William Mark Kratochvil
Date of Birth: August 19, 1917
Place of Birth: Clay Center, Kansas
Father and Mother’s Names: Emil and Jessie Kratochvil
Date Entered Service: September 27, 1940
Service Branch: Army
Rank/Specialty: Private
Service ID: 6932799
Division/Company/Unit info: 290th Infantry Regiment, 75th Infantry Division.
Riley Connection: The 1939 Manhattan city directory shows Mark living at 514 N. Manhattan Ave. in Manhattan. The 1940 U.S. Census shows Mark living at Ft. Lewis, WA, and shows his home county as Riley Co., KS. The 1945 Blue M yearbook mentions his death, which indicates he attended Manhattan High School.
Date of Death (and Age): January 20, 1945, Battle of the Bulge (age 28).
Place of Death: Belgium
Grave Location: Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery, Belgium, Plot F, Row 7, Grave 31.
Bio: Mark was born in Clay Center, KS, and he attended Manhattan High School. The 1939 Manhattan directory shows Mark as living on North Manhattan Ave., and the 1940 U.S. Census indicates he had joined the Army and was stationed at Ft. Lewis, WA. Private Kratochvil served with the 290th Infantry Regiment, 75th Infantry Division. German forces began an assault in the Ardennes Forest on December 16, 1944 and created a “bulge” in the German front lines, which became known as the Battle of the Bulge. The 75th was sent to the front lines and entered into combat on December 23, 1944 in defense of Allied positions. Private Kratochvil was killed on January 20, 1945 while serving in the Battle of the Bulge.
