Use Restrictions

There are no restrictions on personal use. Permission to publish material from the Daniel Monson World War II aviation collection must be obtained from the Special Collections Research Center, George Mason University Libraries.

Access Restrictions

There are no access restrictions.

Preferred Citation

Daniel Monson World War II aviation collection, C0323, Special Collections Research Center, George Mason University Libraries.

Acquisition Information

Donated by Mark Monson in July 2018 with an additional donation in October 2018.

Processing Information

Processing completed by Jared Nistler in August 2019. EAD markup completed by Jared Nistler in August 2019. Photos digitized and finding aid updated by Amanda Brent in September 2019.

Biographical Note

Daniel L. Monson was a pilot in the United States Army Air Forces from March 20, 1943 to January 2, 1946. While he never saw combat, Monson was fully trained through the United States Army Air Forces Pilot Training school to be a B-29 bomber pilot.

Monson was born on April 12, 1920 and at age 22, he joined the Army Air Forces cadet program as an Aviation Cadet at Kelly Field in San Antonio, Texas. As a part of his pilot training from 1942 to 1943, Monson logged over 100 flights before graduating and comissioning as a 2nd Lieutenant on March 20, 1943 to be a VH Bomber pilot (job code: 1093). Monson continued his training until his separation from the military in 1946, learning skills such as advanced piloting techniques and how to identify different military vehicles/vessels from the view of an aircraft.

Corinne Richter Monson, Daniel Monson's wife, served in the United States Marine Corps Womens Reserve from February 7, 1944 to February 6, 1945. During her time in the Marine Corps, Corinne Monson served as a laboratory assistant to a consulting engineer in electronic research.

Daniel Monson died on February 19, 2012. Corinne Richter Monson died on January 18, 2013.

Scope and Content

This collection documents Monson's experience as a trained pilot in the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. Materials in the collection include manuscripts, manuals, pamphlets, programs, notebooks, a map, a leather unit patch, 35mm glass projector slides, and digitized family photos.

The physical collection consists of material that generally falls into the following categories: Aviation training and reference material, Topigraphical map of France, programs and informational booklets, Pilot log and notebook, Photo book and aviation unit patch, Personnel files, and Training projector slides.

Arrangement

This collection consists of three boxes and digitized photos. Folders fall into categories of subject-related materials as determined by the processor. Materials within these categories are arranged and foldered chronologically.

Related Material

The Special Collections Research Center also holds other material related to World War II including the Jerome Epstein papers and the John Patrick Hawker papers.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• Aeronautics
• Aviation
• Monson, Corinne Richter (1923-2013)
• United States. Army Air Forces
• United States. Marine Corps Women's Reserve
• World War, 1939-1945