Richard Ira Bong

From The Air Combat Wiki

Richard Ira Bong, who would become America's "Ace of Aces," was born on September 24, 1920, the son of a Swedish immigrant. He grew up on a farm near the small town of Poplar, Wisconsin. He did well in high school, helped on the farm, and pursued many interests as a teenager. He played on the school's baseball, basketball and hockey teams; played clarinet in the school band; sang in the church choir and enjoyed fishing and hunting. He became a quite a good shot with a hunting rifle. Like many boys of his era, he became interested in aviation at a young age, and was an avid model builder.

He started at Superior State Teachers College in 1938, where he enrolled in the Civilian Pilot training program, also taking private flying lessons. In 1941, he enlisted in the Army Air Corps Aviation Cadet Program.

He did his primary flight training at Rankin Aeronautical Academy in California in June 1941, and completed Basic at Gardner Field, California. He went to Luke Field near Phoenix, Arizona, for Advanced Training in single-engine (fighter) planes, where he learned to master the AT-6. In January of 1942, just after Pearl Harbor, Dick earned his Army Air Corps commission and his coveted pilot's wings. Although he was held back for a few months at Luke to teach gunnery, he soon had the opportunity to train in Lockheed's big new fighter, the P-38. He quickly gained mastery over the twin engine fighter and began testing its limits by performing low level stunts all over San Francisco Bay; flying under the bridges, buzzing Market Street, and blowing wash off clothes lines. One harried housewife complained. In an often repeated story, General George Kenney, head of the Fifth Air force called Bong on the carpet and told him, "Monday morning you check this address out in Oakland and if the woman has any washing to be hung out on the line, you do it for her. Then you hang around being useful - mowing the lawn or something - and when the clothes are dry, take them off the line and bring them into the house. And don't drop any of them on the ground or you will have to wash them all over again. I want this woman to think we are good for something else besides annoying people. Now get out of here before I get mad and change my mind. That's all!"

Bong was transferred to the pacific in September 1942, serving the majority of his time with the 9th Fighter Squadron, the "Flying Knights," of the 49th Fighter Group. Waiting for his squadron to be activated and flying with the 39th Fighter Squadron of the 35th Fighter group, operating out of Port Moresby, New Guinea, Bong scored his first aerial victories, a Zero and an Oscar, for this he earned a Silver Star. That was on December 27, 1942. In March he returned to the 49th Fighter Group, at Schwimmer Field near Moresby. On July 26, 1943, Bong shot down four Japanese fighters over Lae and was consequently awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. His kill rate began to steadily climb. When he surpassed Eddie Rickenbackers WWI record of twenty six on April 12 of 1944, he was promoted to Major and taken out of combat. Returning to the Pacific theater in September of 1944 as an advanced gunnery instructor, he was allowed to participate in combat missions but “not to seek out the enemy”. Regardless of his instructions, he was able to raise his kill total to 40 by December and was taken out of combat permanently.

He was awarded the Medal of Honor on Decemeber 12, 1944 from General MacArthur on the Tacloban airfield. MacArthur tossed away his written remarks and said, "Major Richard Ira Bong, who has ruled the air from New Guinea to the Philippines, I now induct you into the society of the bravest of the brave, the wearers of the Congressional Medal of Honor of the United States."

After a PR trip to Washington, Bong returned to Wisconsin, and married his girlfriend Marge on February 10, 1945. After their California honeymoon, he went to work at Wright Field as a test pilot, helping to develop the Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star. He studied jet propulsion theory and boned up on the engineering details of the new plane for two months, before getting a chance to fly one. After being checked out in the P-80, he flew it eleven times that summer. On August 6,1945, during an acceptance flight, his P-80’s engine failed during take off. He was able to exit his plane but due to the low altitude, his parachute did not deploy and he fell to his death.

The following paragraph is quoted from the Dick Bong article at the National Aviation Hall of Fame website.

Bong described combat flying as fun and a great game that made life interesting. Some pilots were only concerned with their scores, almost to the point of recklessness. Bong relished in the actual flying of combat, not how many enemy aircraft he could shoot down. Bong often referred to his gunnery skills as being lousy; perhaps the worst in the Army Air Force, and this was after breaking Eddie Rickenbacker's record of 26 kills! However, his skills were very adequate, and estimates were that he had a 91 percent hit rate. Bong also knew how to get the most from the aircraft he was flying. He loved flying the P-38, and many pilots who flew with him commented on his mastery of it. He was not a flashy pilot, and knew the limitations of the P-38 and never pushed it beyond. His analytical nature was valuable when flying combat, and he always analyzed the situation before going in with guns firing. Most importantly, he felt no shame in breaking off an engagement when the odds turned against him.