Editing Richard Bong (section)

==United States Army Air Forces==
Bong's ability as a fighter pilot was recognized while he was training in northern California. He was commissioned a [[second lieutenant#United States|second lieutenant]] and awarded his pilot wings on January 19, 1942. His first assignment was as an instructor (gunnery) pilot at Luke Field, Arizona, from January to May 1942. His first operational assignment was on May 6 to the [[49th Fighter Training Squadron|49th Fighter Squadron]] (FS), [[14th Flying Training Wing|14th Fighter Group]] at [[Hamilton Air Force Base|Hamilton Field]], [[California]], where he learned to fly the twin-engine [[Lockheed P-38 Lightning]].

On June 12, 1942, Bong flew very low ("buzzed") over a house in nearby [[San Anselmo, California|San Anselmo]], the home of a pilot who had just been married. He was cited and temporarily grounded for breaking flying rules, along with three other P-38 pilots who had looped around the [[Golden Gate Bridge]] on the same day.<ref>''Dear Mom, So We Have a War'' (1991)</ref> For looping the Golden Gate Bridge, flying at a low level down [[Market Street (San Francisco)|Market Street in San Francisco]], and blowing the clothes off of an Oakland woman's clothesline, Bong was reprimanded by [[George Kenney|General George C. Kenney]], commanding officer of the [[Fourth Air Force]], who told him, "If you didn't want to fly down Market Street, I wouldn't have you in my Air Force, but you are not to do it any more and I mean what I say." Kenney later wrote, "We needed kids like this lad." He also was made to do that woman's laundry or any other chore. <ref>{{Cite book|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=tWdbngbCc84C|first = George C.|last = Kenney|author-link = George Kenney|title = General Kenney Reports: A Personal History of the Pacific War|publisher = Duell, Sloan and Pearce|location = [[New York City]]|year = 1949|pages = 3–6|isbn = 9781428913356}}</ref>

In all subsequent accounts, Bong denied flying under the Golden Gate Bridge.{{sfn|Yenne|2009|p=68}} Nevertheless, Bong was still grounded when the rest of his group was sent without him to England in July 1942. Bong then transferred to another Hamilton Field unit, [[84th Flying Training Squadron|84th Fighter Squadron]] of the [[78th Air Base Wing|78th Fighter Group]]. From there, Bong was sent to the [[South West Pacific theatre of World War II|Southwest Pacific Area]].

Bong was then flown overseas as a passenger aboard a B-24 Liberator from Hawaii via Hickam Field to Australia. Upon arrival Bong was assigned to a newly formed P-38 fighter unit, the 17th Fighter Squadron (Provisional). By November 1942, Bong was transferred to the 49th Fighter Group (49th FG), 9th Fighter Squadron (9th FS). "The Flying Knights" were flying the [[P-40 Warhawk]], and were famous for their aerial defense of [[Darwin, Northern Territory|Darwin]] from March 1942 to August 1942. Afterward, the 9th Fighter Squadron was one of two units in the 5th Air Force selected for conversion to the P-38 Lightning. Bong was among a group of new pilots in the South-West Pacific Area (SWPA) with experience flying the new twin-engine fighter, and they helped these pilots convert from the P-40 Warhawk and P-39 Airacobra to the P-38 Lightning.

In November, while the squadron waited for delivery of the scarce P-38s, Bong and other 9th FS pilots were reassigned temporarily to fly missions and gain combat experience with the 39th Fighter Squadron, [[35th Fighter Group]], based in [[Port Moresby]], [[New Guinea]]. On December 27, Bong claimed his initial aerial victory, shooting down a [[A6M Zero|Mitsubishi A6M "Zero"]], and a [[Nakajima Ki-43|Nakajima Ki-43 "Oscar"]] over Buna (during the [[Battle of Buna-Gona]]).<ref>[http://valor.militarytimes.com/recipient.php?recipientid=2681 Military Ties-Hall of Valor, Richard Bong, Silver Star citation]</ref> For this action, Bong was awarded the [[Silver Star]].

[[File:Richard Bong in cockpit.jpg|250px|thumb|Major Bong in his P-38]]
Bong rejoined the 9th FS, by then equipped with P-38s, in January 1943; the 49th FG was based at [[Schwimmer Airfield|Schwimmer Field]] near Port Moresby. In April, he was promoted to first lieutenant.<ref name="af.mil">{{cite web|url=https://www.afhistory.af.mil/FAQs/Fact-Sheets/Article/639628/bong-maj-richard-ira-bong/|title=Factsheets : Maj Richard Ira Bong|date=November 26, 2014|work=Air Force Historical Support Division|access-date=February 1, 2016}}</ref> On July 26, Bong claimed four Japanese fighters over [[Lae]], in an action that earned him the [[Distinguished Service Cross (United States)|Distinguished Service Cross]]. In August, he was promoted to captain.<ref name="af.mil" />

While on leave to the United States the following November and December, Bong met Marjorie Vattendahl at a Superior State Teachers College homecoming event and began dating her.

After returning to the southwest Pacific in January 1944, he named his P-38 ''Marge'' and adorned the nose with her photo.<ref>Dick Bong America's Ace of Aces by Gen. [[George C. Kenney]].</ref> In March another pilot was flying Bong's aircraft when it suffered engine failure and crashed in New Guinea, after the pilot, who survived, had bailed out. The approximate  crash site is known, and the remains of the aircraft were to be searched for by the Richard I Bong Veterans Historical Center in Superior, Wisconsin and the WWII historical preservation group Pacific Wrecks in 2024.<ref>{{cite news| agency=Associated Press| title=Group to search for celebrated US pilot's fighter plane in South Pacific | newspaper=The Guardian | date=23 March 2024 | url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/mar/23/richard-bong-fighter-plane-search-papua-new-guinea }}</ref> On May 24 of that year, the groups released a statement in which they announced that the crash site had been found with wreckage bearing the serial number of Bong's aircraft. <ref>{{cite news| agency=CBS| title=Explorers find what they believe is Richard Bong's downed plane in jungle ravine | date=24 May 2024 | url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/explorers-find-what-they-believe-is-richard-bongs-downed-plane-in-jungle-ravine/?ftag=CNM-00-10aab7e&linkId=443309547 }}</ref>

On April 12, Captain Bong shot down his 26th and 27th Japanese aircraft, surpassing [[Eddie Rickenbacker]]'s American record of 26 credited victories in [[World War I]]. Soon afterward, he was promoted to major by General Kenney and dispatched to the United States to see [[Henry H. Arnold|General "Hap" Arnold]], who gave him a leave.<ref name="HistoryNet">{{Cite web|url=http://www.historynet.com/richard-ira-bong-american-world-war-ii-ace-of-aces.htm|title=Richard Ira Bong: American World War II Ace of Aces|last=Guttman|first=Jon|date=November 7, 2016|website=HistoryNet.com|language=en-US|access-date=August 23, 2017}}</ref><ref name="af.mil" />
After visiting training bases and going on a 15-state bond promotion tour, Bong returned to New Guinea in September. He was assigned to the [[V Fighter Command]] staff as an advanced gunnery instructor, with permission to go on missions but not to seek combat.<ref name="HistoryNet" /> Bong continued flying from [[Tacloban]], [[Leyte]], during the [[Philippines campaign (1944–45)|Philippines campaign]]; by December 17, he had increased his air-to-air victory claims to 40.

Bong considered his gunnery accuracy to be poor, so he compensated by getting as close to his targets as possible to make sure he hit them. In some cases he flew through the debris of exploding enemy aircraft, and on one occasion collided with his target, which he claimed as a "probable" victory.
[[File:BongMacArthurKenney.jpg|thumb|Major Bong with General Douglas MacArthur and General Kenney on December 12, 1944]]
On the recommendation of General Kenney, the [[Far East Air Force (United States)|Far East Air Force]] commander, Bong received the [[Medal of Honor]] from General [[Douglas MacArthur]] in a special ceremony in December 1944. Bong's Medal of Honor citation says that he flew combat missions despite his status as an instructor, which was one of his duties as standardization officer for V Fighter Command. His rank of major qualified him for a squadron command, but he always flew as a flight (four-plane) or element (two-plane) leader.

In January 1945, Kenney sent Bong, America's [[List of aces of aces|ace of aces]] home for good. Bong married Vattendahl on February 10, 1945.<ref>Elaine Woo. "[https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-oct-10-me-drucker10-story.html Marjorie Drucker, 79; Wife of World War II Ace Richard Bong]". ''Los Angeles Times'', October 10, 2003.</ref> He participated in numerous public relations activities, such as promoting the sale of [[war bond]]s.