| Birth: | Sep. 24, 1920 | | Death: | Aug. 6, 1945 | 
World War II Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient. The American aviation combat "Ace of Aces" of WW2 and all-time, with 40 aerial combat victories, he succeeded Edward V. Rickenbacker, the WW1 "Ace of Aces." During his combat career, he received many letters of encouragement, and later, congratulations, from Rickenbacker himself. He is also recognized as the highest scoring ace to record all of his victories in a twin-engine aircraft, the P-38 Lightning, all in the Pacific Theater. He was killed during a test flight of a prototype of the Lockheed F-80 Shooting Star when its engine failed shortly after takeoff at Burbank, California. He was able to eject, but at too low a height for survival. Due to his admiration for Bong, Rickenbacker paid his respects to Bong at Poplar Cemetery on more than one occasion and later participated in the unveiling of the Richard Bong Memorial (featuring a P-38 painted to resemble one of Bong's WW2 aircraft) in Poplar. In Kenosha County, Wisconsin, a 4,500 acre wildlife/recreation area named for him in Kenosha County. It was to be a jet fighter base in the 1950s, but the project was abandoned right before they started pouring concrete.
Family links:
Parents:
Carl Terry Bong (1891 - 1973)
Dora M. Bryce Bong (1900 - 1959)
Spouse:
Marjorie Ann Vattendahl Drucker (1923 - 2003)*
*Calculated relationship
Search Amazon for Richard Bong | | | Burial:
Poplar Cemetery
Poplar
Douglas County
Wisconsin, USA |
Maintained by: Find A Grave
Record added: Jan 01, 2001
Find A Grave Memorial# 2375 |
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The greatest American fighter pilot of all time and a very humble person unlike Tommy Meguiar who got killed trying to pass Bongs record of 40 Japanese Aircraft. A Metal OF Honor Winner, A very Great American. His early death in a Lockheed P-80 was very ...(Read more)
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DWM,
Added: Jan. 7, 2013 |
Never forgotten.
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Craig
Added: Jan. 5, 2013 |
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Frank R. Adamski
Added: Jan. 1, 2013 |
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(4.4 after 95 votes)
