A native of Atlanta, "Doc" Manget took his first flight in 1929 at the age of eight in Bainbridge, Georgia. In December, 1941, he began a lifetime career in aviation when he joined the US Navy Flight Program at the Naval Air Base at Chamblee, Georgia. In October of the following year, he received his pilot wings and commission as an ensign. Manget was assigned to Torpedo Squadron 27 (VT-27) aboard the carrier USS Suwanee. He later served aboard the carrier USS Princeton (CVL-23). He fought in the Battle of the Philippine Sea, the "Great Marianas Turkey Shoot," the Battle of Leyte Gulf, and flew strikes against Saipan, Palau, the Philippines, Okinawa, and Formosa. Manget received the Distinguished Flying Cross for saving two pilots of downed planes, and when the Japanese sank his car­rier in the Battle of Leyte Gulf, he jumped from the deck to be rescued later in the day by a destroyer. After World War II, Captain Manget graduated from the University of Georgia and flew Hellcats (F6Fs), Corsairs (F4Us) and Panthers (F9Fs) as Commanding Officer of Fighter Squadron 674. Recalled to active duty during the Korean War, he served as Executive Officer of Fighter Squadron 72 (VF-72) aboard the USS Bon Homme Richard (CV­31).

In 1953-54, he was a Navy test pilot at McDonnell Aircraft, St. Louis, Missouri, where he tested the F2H2 Phantom and F2H3 Banshee. Captain Manget began his career in civil­ian aviation as assistant manager of the El Paso, Texas, International Airport. In 1959, he became the first airport director for DeKalb-Peachtree Airport where flight operations grew in a short time from a few dozen annually to more than 240,000. For 31 years he directed what had become the second busiest airport in the state. He became a member of the board of directors of the Association of Airport Executives and president of the Southeastern Airport Managers Association, and he continued to fulfill Navy Reserve assignments at Naval Air Station, Marietta, Georgia. He has served as director of the Metropolitan Atlanta Airports Council, and an active member of Georgia Airports Association, Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, and Silver Wings. Captain Manget was later recipient of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Community Service Award. His numer­ous military decorations include the Distinguished Flying Cross (3), Air Medal (5), Presidential Unit Citation, Korean Presidential Unit Citation, Navy Commendation Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Korean Service Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, Philippine Liberation Ribbon, United Nations Service Medal, World War II Victory Medal, and the Naval Reserve Medal.

Captain Henry "Doc" Manget Jr., outstanding leader in civilian and military aviation, was enshrined in the Georgia Aviation Hall of Fame May 16, 1998.