US Army Air Forces Maj. Richard "Dick" Bong, The Ace of Aces - WWII Medal of Honor Recipient

In this episode of Duty & Valor, I’m going to tell you the story about the US Army Air Force’s WWII pilot who’s fearless flying skills would allow him to attain 40 aerial victories in the skies over the South Pacific.  A number that has not been achieved by any other American pilot to date.  Courageously, even when he was assigned to a non-combat role, he would voluntarily fly combat missions.  And it was this selflessness and valor that would see him earning the Medal of Honor.  This is the story of Maj. Richard Bong, The Ace of Aces. 

Born on Sept. 24, 1920 in Superior, WI, Richard “Dick” Bong was the oldest of nine children born to Carl Bong and Dora Bryce.  Dick would graduate from Central High School in 1938 before heading to Superior State Teachers College.  His early love of flying led him to enroll in the Civilian Pilot Training Program and in May of 1941, before the US entered the war, he enlisted in the Army Air Corps Aviation Cadet Program where he would begin to hone his flying skills and he would soon be recognized as a promising combat pilot. 

On January 19, 1942, Dick was awarded his pilot's wings and was commissioned a 2nd Lt.  He would temporarily be assigned as an instructor at Luke Field, AZ before heading to California in May of that year.  There he would be seated in the type of aircraft that he would master, and later use to menace Japanese pilots, the Lockheed P-38 Lightning.   In July, Lt. Bong was now assigned to the 14th Fighter Group, though his unit  would head to England without him.  Lt. Bong, along with three other pilots, had been temporarily grounded because they flew low over the house of a recently married fellow pilot, and there were reports of them flying loops around the Golden Gate Bridge.  

After being transferred to the 78th Fighter Group, Lt. Bong and his new unit were sent to the SW Pacific theater.  Lt. Bong would arrive in Australia where he would be transferred between different units before ending up with The Flying Knights of the 9th Fighter Squadron,  49th Fighter Group.  It was there that his experience would be instrumental in training pilots of other types of aircraft to fly the P-38.  By the time November came, he would be temporarily transferred to another unit due to scarcity of the P-38.  Lt. Bong, and other pilots of his unit, would join the 39th Fighter Squadron in Papua New Guinea.  There he would quickly gain combat experience and on December 27, Lt. Bong would score his first two aerial victories against a Mitsubishi Zero and a Nakajima Oscar, which led to him being awarded the Silver Star.  Over the following days, Lt. Bong saw a lot of combat action and by January 8th he would officially be called an Ace, as he was credited with the downing of his fifth enemy aircraft of the war. 

By January of 1943 he was back with the 9th, as they were re-equipped with P-38’s.  He would be promoted 1st Lt. in April, which is around the time he claimed his 9th and 10th aerial victories of the war.  In an article printed in the Courier-Mail out of Queensland in June, it was written that Lt. Bong was in support of a rescue mission of a downed pilot when he saw a crocodile in pursuit of a raft containing three fellow pilots, who were paddling towards the downed pilot.  He would bring his P-38 down to a lower altitude where he was able to hit the crocodile with rounds from the P-38’s  20 mm gun, which allowed the men to complete their rescue mission.   

A few months later, Lt. Bong and the 9th were seeing heavy action over Papua New Guinea and he would remarkably shoot down four enemy aircraft on July 26th alone.  On that day he would score victories against two Japanese Zeroes, an Oscar, and two Ki-61 Tonies, and by August he would attain the rank of Captain.  

Combat sorties in October and early November would see Capt. Bong down another five Japanese aircraft, bringing his total aerial victories of the war to twenty one.  Capt. Bong would take a much deserved leave from his unit in November and December where he would return back home to Superior. 

While at his alma matta’s homecoming, Capt. Bong met Marjorie Vattendalh and the two began dating soon after.  Unfortunately his leave was short lived and he had to head back to the Pacific.  As many were forced to do during the war, Capt. Bong and Marjorie would correspond via mail where a mutual love would blossom between them.  

Now back with his unit, Capt. Bong would adorn the nose of his P-38 with the image of his new love and would now call his P-38 “Marge”.  Up to this point in US military history, the record of 26 aerial victories was held by Capt. Eddie Rickenbacker, the Medal of Honor recipient who gained fame during WWI.  But on April 12th, Capt. Bong would surpass Capt. Rickenbacker after he was credited with downing two more Japanese aircraft, his 26th and 27th of the war.  Rickenbacker would personally congratulate Capt. Bong on his achievement.  

Now a Major, he would again briefly return to the US in a wartime bond tour before returning to Papua New Guinea in September.  Through the latter months of 1944, Major Bong would be assigned as a staff officer and gunnery instructor of the 5th Fighter Command.  What would normally be a quiet assignment for any distinguished pilot, Major. Bong sought after, and received permission to fly missions, though he was not given permission to seek out combat.  But this directive didn’t stop Major Bong from engaging the enemy and increasing the number of his aerial victories.  His actions were instrumental in saving the lives of his fellow fighter pilots as well as the lives of the bomber crews which they were often tasked with supporting.

The Far East Air Force Commander, General Kenney, recommended that Major Bong receive the Medal of Honor for selflessly joining combat missions when he wasn’t required, or expected to.  During this time he downed an additional 12 enemy aircraft.  Bringing his total to 40 aerial victories.  In December of 1944, in a ceremony at Tocloban Airfield in the Philippines, General Douglas McArthur placed the Medal of Honor upon US Army Air Force Major Richard Bong, the Ace of Aces. 

After returning back home in January of 1945, Major Bong would again support the war bond drive and his celebrity would also help keep up the morale of the Americans back home.  He would go on to marry Marge on February 10th.  After the end of his combat flying career, Major Bong couldn’t stomach the thought of doing anything but flying, which led him to become a test pilot, first at Wright Field in Ohio and then in Burbank California.  There he would fly the Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star, America’s first jet to be used operationally.   

On August 6th, 1945, which was only his 12th flight in a P-80, Major Bong’s jet crashed on take off as its fuel pump malfunctioned.  Sadly, he wasn’t able to deploy his parachute and was killed.  Major Bong was just weeks shy of his 25th birthday.  

Unbefitting his legacy, the news of his passing did not make newspaper headlines as it should have.  The news of his death was overshadowed by the news that the US had dropped an Atomic bomb on Hiroshima.  His death would mark the untimely end to the storied military career of Major Richard Bong, the Ace of Aces.  

To learn more about Maj. Bong, we have added our sources to the show notes for further reading.  Also there are two books that I recommend.  The first was written by Major Bong’s brother, Carl, who wrote a biography about his brother titled Dear Mom: So We Have a War.  And there is the highly rated book that General Kenney wrote titled Dick Bong: Ace of Aces.   

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