John O. Moench Collection

General John Moench was born in Chicago, Ill., in 1921. He attended Valparasio High School in Indiana and graduated in 1939. He received a Bachelor's Degree in Military Science and Master's Degree in Political Science from the University of Maryland. He started his career in the United States Air Force and received his pilot wings and commission as a second lieutenant in 1943. Moench was sent to Europe and flew 62 combat missions in the B-26 Marauder.

After World War II, Moench decided to stay in the service. On July 29, 1952, he married Mary Coppa, a civilian employee of the United States Air Force. He went on to serve nearly twenty years in Joint Commands in Pacific and with the Joint Staff in the Office of the Secretary of Defense.

Moench had four assignments between 1945 and his retirement in 1974; he was stationed most notably in Germany, Korea, Hawaii, and under the Secretary of Defense in Washington, DC. Moench's military decorations and awards include the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with 11 oak leaf clusters, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal, and the Distinguished Unit Citation Emblem.

After his retirement, Moench devoted his life to documenting the history of the B-26 Marauder, becoming a chairman of the Martin B-26 Marauder Historical Society and publishing several books on United States Air Force (USAF) history. General Moench passed away due to an inflammatory muscle disease known as Inclusion Body Myositis (IBM) on April 3, 2013.