He was one of the most decorated American fighter pilots and the country's top flying ace in the war, credited with shooting down 40 Japanese aircraft, all with the Lockheed P-38 Lightning. …

May 16, 2025 · On the same day the atomic bomb fell on Hiroshima, August 6, 1945, Major Richard Bong—America’s top fighter ace with 40 aerial victories—was killed in a jet crash …

The first of nine children, born in 1920 to a Swedish immigrant father and an American-born Mother, Richard (Dick) Bong’s upbringing epitomized the values and expectations of that era – …

1 day ago · Learn how some of America’s greatest WWII aces met their untimely ends after surviving countless battles. Follow Fletcher Adams and Richard Bong as they pushed the …

Known as the “Ace of Aces” for his rank as the top American flying ace during World War II, Major Richard Ira Bong is credited with the downing of an impressive confirmed total of 40 enemy …

Lt. Richard Bong scored his first aerial victory on September 27, as he and several others engaged a larger force of enemy Japanese planes near Buna, New Guinea. He shot down two …

With 40 aerial victories, this Wisconsin farm boy became America’s top ace, only to die in a tragic P-80 crash at home. While in the war, he was the one to beat…but nobody ever did. The pilot …

U.S. Army Air Corps Major Richard Ira Bong was presented the Medal of Honor for military valor during World War II.

Born and raised in Poplar, Wisconsin, Richard Ira Bong was destined to have a short but illustrious career as a military aviator. In just under two years, Major Bong had downed 40 …

Nov 5, 2024 · During World War II, Richard Bong became a U.S. Army Air Forces ACE of ACEs, credited with shooting down 40 enemy aircraft in aerial combat. He received all of the Army’s …