Biography
Year at ISU: 1947
Private William Atlee Nelson was born in Gary, Indiana on August 11, 1925 to Forrest A. Nelson and Virginia K. Kelly. He later lived in Galesburg, Illinois.
William entered service on October 1, 1943 at Camp Dodge, Iowa. He served with Company K, 397th Infantry, 100th Division, Seventh Army.
He had been in service one year, two months and four days before he was declared missing in action in France on January 5, 1944. After several months, the war department declared him to be killed in action.