Guard Wilton Roy Manum

Wilton Roy Manum

Guard Wilton Manum suffered a fatal heart attack while attempting to extinguish a brush fire outside of the Bedford Springs Hotel in Bedford Springs, Pennsylvania.

The United States Immigration and Naturalization Service had contracted to use the entire Bedford Springs Hotel as a detainee detention facility for the Japanese ambassador to Germany, his family, and other Japanese government prisoners who were taken into custody after Japan surrendered. The facility was being closed on November 16th, 1945, and all of the detainees were being loaded onto buses to begin their movement to California by train before being deported back to Japan.

At about 1:45 pm, Guard Manum noticed a brush fire next to a watch tower and ran into the hotel to retrieve a tip-over fire extinguisher. He ran it back to the fire but collapsed against a tree. Another guard put out the fire.

Guard Manum had served as a guard at the facility for 4-1/2 months and died on his last day of employment. He had previously served as the Assistant Chief of Section of the INS' Central Office in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was survived by his wife.