World War II Honoree

William J. Monahan

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Camden, New Jersey

Honored By

Friends of American Heroes

IN 1943, HE JOINED THE ARMY AIR FORCES AND WAS STATIONED MOSTLY IN THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS. HE ALSO DID TOURS IN WESTERN EUROPE. AS AN AIRPLANE ENGINEER, HE RODE ON PLANES TO MAKE SURE EVERYTHING WAS WORKING RIGHT OR TO DO A QUICK REPAIR. ONCE, WHILE TRAVELING BETWEEN ISLANDS IN THE PHILIPPINES, HIS YOUNG PILOT LOST CONTROL OF THE PLANE AND CRASHED INTO A TENT AND HE SUSTAINED ONLY A HEAD INJURY. SHORTLY BEFORE THE WAR ENDED, HE FLEW WITH ADMIRAL RICHARD EVELYN BYRD DURING AN AERIAL INSPECTION OF THE NAGASAKI BOMB SITE.