Donald D. Monson was born in 1922 in Nebraska. He was the son of John Elof Monson and Esther V. Bengtson Monson. He resided in Boyd County, Nebraska prior to the war. He enlisted in the Army on September 22, 1942 in Washington, D.C. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as an Office Clerk and also as Single, without dependents. Donald served as a Second Lieutenant and Co-Pilot on B-17G #42-102862, 817th Bomber Squadron, 483rd Bomber Group, U.S. Air Force during World War II.

B-17G #42-102862 took off from Sterparone, Italy on a bombing mission over Memmingen, Germany on July 18, 1944. Prior to "bombs away" they, along with 6 other B-17's, were attacked by an overwhelming number of German fighter aircraft. B-17G #42-102862, along with other B-17's, were shot down and crashed near Memmingen. He is now buried in the Westlawn Memorial Cemetery, Grand Island, Hall County, Nebraska, USA.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com