Major Bong

[Daniel L]

Does anyone know anything about Major Bong in the United States Airforce.



Best regards/ Daniel

[Lawrence Tandy]

Try this link
http://www.bongheritagecenter.org

[Daniel L]

Thanks Lawrence, that's a great link!

Best regards/ Daniel

[Lawrence Tandy]

You are most welcome. Always a pleasure to help.

LT

[johnrtse]

Very nice link! Thank you very much.

The suspension bridge that spans the bay portion of Lake Superior between Superior, Wisconsin and Duluth, Minnesota is named after Richard Bong. I've been over it many times visiting my brother when he lived in Superior.

Thanks!
John

[Mark Costa]

For a great book on Dick Bong --- check out "Dear Mom -- So we have a War". It contains all the letters home to his mother during the war. It will really show you the true Dick Bong. Its a fascinating read.

Mark Costa

[Dan W.]

Medal of Honor citation:

BONG, RICHARD 1. (Air Mission)

Rank and organization: Major, U.S. Army Air Corps. Place and date: Over Borneo and Leyte, 10 October to 15 November 1944. Entered service at: Poplar, Wis. Birth: Poplar, Wis. G.O. No.: 90, 8 December 1944. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action above and beyond the call of duty in the Southwest Pacific area from 10 October to 15 November 1944. Though assigned to duty as gunnery instructor and neither required nor expected to perform combat duty, Maj. Bong voluntarily and at his own urgent request engaged in repeated combat missions, including unusually hazardous sorties over Balikpapan, Borneo, and in the Leyte area of the Philippines. His aggressiveness and daring resulted in his shooting down 8 enemy airplanes during this period.

http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/mohiia1.htm

[Daniel L]

Thanks Mark and Dan.

Best regards/ Daniel

[cybercat]

Was he by any chance a friend of Captain Spliff?

[Grünherz]

Was he by any chance a friend of Captain Spliff?

How many get that?

Great fighter pilot though. Tommy McGuire anyone?

[Cantankerous]

Richard Bong lost his life in the crash of a P-80 Shooting Star while a Lockheed test pilot on August 6, 1945 (same day as the A-bomb raid on Hiroshima). See this link for info:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Bong#Death

[Thumpalumpacus]

Sierra Hotel, fo sho.

[Le Page]

Medal of Honor citation:

BONG, RICHARD 1. (Air Mission)

Rank and organization: Major, U.S. Army Air Corps. Place and date: Over Borneo and Leyte, 10 October to 15 November 1944. Entered service at: Poplar, Wis. Birth: Poplar, Wis. G.O. No.: 90, 8 December 1944. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action above and beyond the call of duty in the Southwest Pacific area from 10 October to 15 November 1944. Though assigned to duty as gunnery instructor and neither required nor expected to perform combat duty, Maj. Bong voluntarily and at his own urgent request engaged in repeated combat missions, including unusually hazardous sorties over Balikpapan, Borneo, and in the Leyte area of the Philippines. His aggressiveness and daring resulted in his shooting down 8 enemy airplanes during this period.

http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/mohiia1.htm

That doesn't look like any WWII MoH citation I ever saw. I guess they wanted to give him the Big Medal because he was the top-scoring ace, but why didn't they just say he shot down 38 aircraft or something?