Top of page

Herman Monoschein, Leawood, Kansas [11/24/2003]

Veterans History Project Service Summary:

  • War or Conflict: Korean War, 1950-1953; World War, 1939-1945
  • Branch of Service: Army Air Forces/Corps; Air Force
  • Service Unit/Ship: 18th Weather Squadron; 339th Fighter Group
  • Location of Service: New York, New York; Savannah, Georgia; Bradley Field, Connecticut; Kellogg, Michigan; England; Fort Meade, Maryland; European Theater; Boston, Massachusetts; Chanute Field, Illinois; Mather Field, California; Scott Air Force Base, Illinois
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant; Master Sergeant
  • Collection Number: AFC/2001/001/11348

View full service history

"Forecasting at that time was primitive compared to what it is now... we didn't have satellites, and furthermore, Hitler didn't cooperate by giving us weather reports over Germany or occupied France. So the underground, [they] supplied weather reports for us." (Video interview, 38:12)

"How's the weather?" might sound like a mundane question, but it can be a significant one during wartime, particularly for pilots, when passing clouds can obscure a target or an enemy plane. The son of Jewish immigrants from Russia, First Lieutenant Herman Monoschein joined the Army Air Forces even before the US entered World War II, though his dreams of flying ended upon discovering he was colorblind. While stationed at Bradley Field, Connecticut, he became intrigued by weather forecasting, and became a qualified weather observer. In April of 1943, he shipped out to England, where he worked at a number of weather stations, finally serving as Station Chief at a weather station near Fowlmere. Working around the clock, without the benefit of modern satellite imagery, his team prepared the weather charts that provided critical information on conditions that could make or break a combat mission.

Interview / Recording

Transcript

        Loading...

About this Item

Title

  • Herman F. Monoschein Collection

Names

  • Babcock, Robert O.
  • Monoschein, Herman F.
  • Americans Remembered, Inc.
  • Swanson, Gary W.

Home State

  • Kansas

Headings

  • -  Monoschein, Herman F.
  • -  World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal Narratives
  • -  United States. Army Air Forces/Corps.
  • -  Korean War, 1950-1953 -- Personal Narratives
  • -  United States. Air Force.

Repository

  • Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress

Gender

  • Male

Status

  • veteran

Service History

  • World War, 1939-1945

    • Branch of Service: Army Air Forces/Corps
    • Service Unit/Ship: 18th Weather Squadron; 339th Fighter Group
    • Location of Service: New York, New York; Savannah, Georgia; Bradley Field, Connecticut; Kellogg, Michigan; England; Fort Meade, Maryland; European Theater; Boston, Massachusetts; Chanute Field, Illinois; Mather Field, California
    • Highest Rank: Master Sergeant
    • Dates of Service: 1941-1945
    • Entrance into Service: Drafted
    • Military Status: veteran

  • Korean War, 1950-1953

    • Branch of Service: Air Force
    • Location of Service: Scott Air Force Base, Illinois
    • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
    • Dates of Service: 1951-1952
    • Entrance into Service: Commissioned
    • Military Status: veteran

Materials

  • Manuscript: Transcript [1 item] -- Typewritten document (collected 2003-11-24)
  • Video: DVD [1 item] -- Oral history interview (collected 2003-11-24; 1999-12-31)

Collection Number

  • AFC/2001/001/11348

Online Format

  • image
  • online text
  • video

Additional Metadata Formats

Rights & Access

Using VHP Material in Publication or Exhibition

The Veterans History Project (VHP) at the Library of Congress collects, preserves and makes accessible the firsthand recollections of U.S. military veterans who served from World War I through more recent conflicts and peacekeeping missions, so that future generations may hear directly from veterans and better understand what they saw, did and felt during their service. The Veterans History Project Collection includes oral histories along with documentary materials such as original letters, diaries, photographs, and memoirs.

Veterans and interviewers contribute these materials to the Library for scholarly and educational purposes, retaining any copyright they may hold. Therefore, permission must be obtained before using the interview or other materials in exhibition or publication. Researchers or others who would like to make further use of these materials should contact the Veterans History Project for assistance.

As a publicly supported institution, the Library generally does not own rights to material in its collections. Therefore, it does not charge permission fees for use of such material and cannot give or deny permission to publish or otherwise distribute material in its collections. Responsibility for making an independent legal assessment of an item from the Library’s collections and for securing any necessary permissions rests with persons desiring to use the item.

Please contact us with questions.

Obtaining Copies of VHP Materials

In order for VHP materials to be duplicated, we must receive written permission from the interviewee for you to obtain a copy of the recording unless the proposed use is limited to personal use, research, or other uses permissible by copyright law. If the interviewee is deceased, their next-of-kin may grant written permission.

Please contact VHP for assistance if you need to contact a veteran for permission to use their materials in exhibition or publication, or if you have received permission from the veteran and need access to high-resolution copies of VHP collection materials.

Citing VHP Materials

Please use the following formats when citing Veterans History Project materials (substituting the appropriate name and collection ID number).

Materials as a whole:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Manuscript material:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Memoirs (MS02), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Transcript (MS04), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Correspondence (MS01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Recording:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Audio recording (SR01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Video recording (MV01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Photograph:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Photographs (PH01), photographer unknown, Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Photographs (PH03-PH14), Ralph Williams photographer, Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Computer file:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Computer file (CF01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Artifact:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Artifact (AR01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

Babcock, Robert O, Herman F Monoschein, Inc Americans Remembered, and Gary W Swanson. Herman F. Monoschein Collection. 1941. Personal Narrative. https://www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.11348/.

APA citation style:

Babcock, R. O., Monoschein, H. F., Americans Remembered, I. & Swanson, G. W. (1941) Herman F. Monoschein Collection. [Personal Narrative] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.11348/.

MLA citation style:

Babcock, Robert O, et al. Herman F. Monoschein Collection. 1941. Personal Narrative. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.11348/>.