Show q k S 55 S 5 S C Ci i a 55 S S 55 v 5 5 5 5 fed fed in 50 North African Raids Staff Sergeant f ionson shows his distinguished flying cross to his Irs Us John L. L L Monson S L Aerial Reno Hero T Says Italians Will o Give Up 1 Decorated Air Gunner Home After North Africa Fighting Italians will revolt and surrender surrender surrender sur sur- I render if the allies continue to bomb them Staff Sergeant Keith C. C Monson Monson 20 veteran of 50 north African air raids predicted Monday Monday Monday Mon Mon- day when he hc visited his parents Mr and Mrs John L. L Monson East First South street I think the Italians will give up without the infantry invading their country asserted Staff Sergeant Sergeant Sergeant Ser Ser- geant Monson who has the distinguished distinguished distinguished dis dis- dis- dis flying cross and the air medal with three oak leaf clusters All Italian prisoners whom I saw were happy to be captured I Iso so they would not have to fight I any more They were much happier happier hap hap- I pier than tha the German prisoners said Salt Lakes Lake's youthful hero as ashe ashe ashe he showed his family insignia from Italian and German prisoners Staff Sergeant Monson was awarded the distinguished flying cross for destroying a German and participating in 20 raids over enemy territory Since he received the medal the young Fortress gunner has to totaled totaled to- to o- o 50 raids Awards Recommended For outstanding bravery he received received received re re- re- re the air medal with three oak oakleaf oakleaf oakleaf leaf clusters He has been recommended recommended recommended mended to receive a total of nine oak leaf clusters according to a record Z signed by his commanding officer L signed by his commanding officer We lost a few men and only a a. couple were wounded Once we returned Jo to base with an engine cylinder shot o out put t and with cannon holes in our ships ship's wings and bomb- bomb bay reported Staff Sergeant Monson who participated in some of the Tunisian battles He said My job was to keep fighter planes off I probably shot down several planes The fighting is so fast it is hard to know everything that happens Hit Axis Ship Staff Sergeant Monson hit the he e. e shot down in the engine and one wing when it was about r s frond romis rom rom- his is ship he said Shortly before lea leaving ving north Africa he visited with his brother I Lieutenant Wendell Monson who also is serving there Staff Sergeant Monson who had hadI been overseas 11 months went to I Africa from England While in England he participated in several several several sev sev- eral raids over occupied France and Italy he said Coal strikes are hard on soldiers soldiers' soldiers soldiers' soldiers soldiers' sol sol- sol sol- diers' diers morale he pointed outMost outMost outMost out Most of the boys wished they could take Lewis to Africa so he would know how it feels to be shot at a lot Rap Zoot Zoot also seem silly We wrote a national magazine we couldn't figure out why the editor used pictures of silly zoot- zoot when the English can make at least two suits out of material needed for one zoot suit the veteran said I wish the zoot- zoot would hang themselves with their long watch chains Africa was colder than he had expected and be he was surprised to see snow there last October He enjoyed bartering by sign language language language lan lan- guage with natives for tangerines oranges and eggs Last Thanksgiving Thanksgiving Thanksgiving Thanks Thanks- giving he and his companions who were away from the thc main base traded old clothes for four eggs and a pigeon he recalled i Staff Sergeant Monson entered the army March 18 1941 He left the United States in July 1942 after being stationed at Felt Field Wash and attending armament school at Lowry field Denver Colo and gunnery school at Spokane Spokane Spokane kane Wash He attended East high school |