Martin James Monti
Martin James Monti (October 24, 1921 - September 11, 2000) was a United States airman who enlisted in the Army Air Force as a pilot and was at the rank of second lieutenant when he defected to National Socialist Germany, taking his P-38 Lightning aircraft and landing at Milan on Oct. 13, 1944. Monti gave propaganda speeches on German radio, using the alias "Martin Wiethaupt", but was regarded as a poor broadcaster and was rarely used.
He joined the SS in the last weeks of the war and was given the rank of SS-Untersturmführer before heading to Italy, where he surrendered to the Americans. In 1946, he was sentenced to 15 years in prison on the charge of desertion, but was pardoned within a year on condition he join the army. He was serving as a sergeant when the FBI rearrested him in 1948. He was charged with treason and sentenced to 25 years in prison. Monti was paroled in 1960.
See also
References
- http://www.axishistory.com/index.php?id=310
- http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?t=58686 {discussion thread that includes photos and a contemporary New York Times article}
