Editing Richard Bong

{{Short description|United States Army Air Forces Medal of Honor recipient (1920–1945)}}
{{Infobox military person
| birth_name    = Richard Ira Bong
| image         = Richard Bong photo portrait head and shoulders.jpg
| image_size    = 
| alt           = 
| caption       = Major Bong {{circa}} 1945
| nickname      = "Dick" Bong
| birth_date    = {{Birth date|1920|09|24}}
| birth_place   = [[Superior, Wisconsin]], U.S.
| death_date    = {{Death date and age|1945|08|06|1920|11|24}}
| death_place   = [[North Hollywood, California]], U.S.
| placeofburial = [[Poplar, Wisconsin]], U.S.
| allegiance    = {{flag|United States|1912}}
| branch        = [[File:US Army Air Corps Hap Arnold Wings.svg|30px]] [[United States Army Air Forces]]
| serviceyears  = 1941–1945
| rank          = [[File:US-O4 insignia.svg|30px]] [[Major (United States)|Major]]
| unit          = [[49th Fighter Group]]
| commands      = 
| battles       = [[World War II]]
* [[South West Pacific theatre of World War II|South West Pacific Theatre]]
* [[Battle of Buna-Gona]]
* [[Philippines campaign (1944–45)]]
| awards        = [[Medal of Honor]]<br />[[Distinguished Service Cross (United States)|Distinguished Service Cross]]<br />[[Silver Star]] (2)<br />[[Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)|Distinguished Flying Cross]] (7)<br />[[Air Medal]] (15)
| relations     = 
| laterwork     = 
}}

'''Richard Ira''' "'''Dick'''" '''Bong''' (September 24, 1920&nbsp;– August 6, 1945) was a [[United States Army Air Forces]] major and [[Medal of Honor]] recipient in [[World War II]]. He was one of the most decorated American [[fighter pilot]]s and the country's top [[flying ace]] in the war, credited with shooting down 40 Japanese aircraft, all with the [[Lockheed P-38 Lightning]]. He died in California while testing a [[Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star|Lockheed P-80]] [[jet fighter]] shortly before the war ended. Bong was posthumously inducted into the [[National Aviation Hall of Fame]] in 1986 and has several commemorative monuments named in his honor around the world, including an airport, two bridges, a theater, a veterans historical center, a recreation area, a neighborhood terrace, and several avenues and streets, including the street leading to the [[National Museum of the United States Air Force]] in [[Dayton, Ohio]].

==Early life==
Bong was born September 24, 1920, in [[Superior, Wisconsin]], the first of nine children born to Carl Bong, an immigrant from [[Sweden]], and Dora Bryce,<!-- nee? --> who was an American of Scottish-English descent.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.nationalaviation.org/our-enshrinees/bong-richard/ |title=The National Aviation Hall of Fame |access-date=2017-09-30 |archive-date=2017-10-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171001031202/http://www.nationalaviation.org/our-enshrinees/bong-richard/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> Known by the common nickname "Dick", he grew up on a farm in [[Poplar, Wisconsin]], where he became interested in aircraft at an early age while watching planes fly over the farm carrying mail for President [[Calvin Coolidge]]'s [[List of residences of presidents of the United States#Summer White House|Summer White House]] in Superior,<ref>[https://www.bvhcenter.org/bong-bio/ Veterans Historical Center]</ref> and was an avid model builder.

Bong entered Poplar High School in 1934, where he played the clarinet in the marching band and participated in baseball, basketball, and hockey. Because Poplar was a three-year school at the time, Bong transferred to Central High School in Superior for his senior year, graduating in 1938.{{Sfn|Yenne|2009|p=|pp=22–25}}

He began studying at Superior State Teachers College (the current-day [[University of Wisconsin–Superior]]) in 1938. While there, Bong enrolled in the [[Civilian Pilot Training Program]] and also took private flying lessons. On May 29, 1941, he enlisted in the [[United States Army Air Corps|Army Air Corps]] [[Aviation Cadet Training Program (USAAF)#Aviation Cadet Program (USAAF), 1940–47|Aviation Cadet Program]]. One of his flight instructors was Captain [[Barry Goldwater]] (later [[List of United States Senators from Arizona|a U.S. Senator from Arizona]]).

==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.

==Death==
[[File:Lockheed P-80 PN-155.jpg|thumb|left|Bong was killed in 1945 while testing a [[P-80 Shooting Star|P-80A]] similar to this one.]]

Bong then became a [[test pilot]] assigned to [[Lockheed Corporation|Lockheed]]'s plant in [[Burbank, California]], where he flew [[P-80 Shooting Star]] [[fighter aircraft|jet fighter]]s at the [[Bob Hope Airport|Lockheed Air Terminal]].  On August 6, 1945, he took off to perform the acceptance flight of P-80A 44-85048. It was his 12th flight in the P-80; he had a total of four hours and fifteen minutes of flight time in the jet.

The plane's primary fuel pump malfunctioned during takeoff. Bong did not switch to the auxiliary fuel pump, either forgetting or unable to do so.<ref name="yeagerbio">[[Chuck Yeager|Yeager, Chuck]] and Janos, Leo. ''Yeager: An Autobiography''. Pages 227–228 (paperback). New York: Bantam Books, 1986. {{ISBN|0-553-25674-2}}.</ref> He [[Ejection seat|ejected]], but was too low for his parachute to open. The plane crashed into a narrow field at Oxnard Street and Satsuma Avenue, North Hollywood. His death was front-page news across the country, sharing space with the first news of the [[bombing of Hiroshima]].<ref>The [[New York Times]], the [[Washington Post]], and the [[Los Angeles Times]], among other periodicals, all carried prominent front page stories about Bong's death on August 7, 1945, despite the prevalence of the news on the first atomic bombing. "Jet plane explosion kills Major Bong, Top U.S. Ace," ''New York Times'' (August 7, 1945), p. 1; "Major Bong, top air ace, killed in crash of Army P-80 jet-fighter," ''Washington Post'' (August 6, 1945), p.1; "Jet plane explosion kills Maj. Bong; Ace's 'Shooting Star' blows up in test flight over north Hollywood", ''Los Angeles Times'' (August 6, 1945), p.1.</ref>
[[File:1945-08-07-Los-Angeles-Times-front-page.jpg|thumb|upright|His death was featured prominently in national newspapers, even though it occurred on the same day as the atomic [[bombing of Hiroshima]].]]

The I-16 auxiliary fuel pump had been added to P-80s after an earlier fatal crash. Captain Ray Crawford, a fellow P-80 test/acceptance flight pilot who flew on August 6, later said Bong had told him that he had forgotten to turn on the I-16 pump on an earlier flight.<ref>Dear Mom, So We Have a War (1991)</ref>

In his autobiography, [[Chuck Yeager]] writes that part of the culture of test flying at the time, due to its fearsome mortality rates, was anger toward pilots who died in test flights, to avoid being overcome by sorrow for lost comrades. Bong's brother Carl, who wrote his biography, questions whether Bong repeated the mistake so soon after mentioning it to another pilot. Carl's book&nbsp;– ''Dear Mom, So We Have a War'' (1991)&nbsp;– contains numerous reports and findings from the crash investigations.

==Legacy==
In the mid-1950s, construction on a new USAF installation commenced south of Milwaukee that was to be named [[R.I. Bong Air Force Base|Richard I. Bong Air Force Base]].  The base, intended to be an [[Air Defense Command]] fighter base for the Chicago and Milwaukee areas, was conceived in the early 1950s with construction commencing in the mid-1950s. Construction had barely begun when the base was transferred to the [[Strategic Air Command]] as a prospective base for the supersonic [[B-58 Hustler]] bomber.  Prior to completion, the base was considered obsolete as it had become apparent to USAF officials that the base would be redundant with installations nearby that would soon have space for more units. The base was abandoned in 1959 and disposed of the following year.<ref>"Air Force Deactivates Squadron at Bong Base". Racine Journal Times. December 1, 1959.</ref>  Today, the former base site is known as the [[Richard Bong State Recreation Area]].

It was planned that Spokane Air Force Base, Washington, was to be renamed Bong Air Force Base, until General [[Muir Fairchild]] died on active duty in 1950, and it was named [[Fairchild Air Force Base]] instead.<ref>Dan Simmons (January 11, 2007). "Why is that road on base called "Bong" Street?". Air Force Print News Today. Archived from the original on 2011-07-22. Retrieved 2019-04-01</ref>

Bong is buried at Poplar Cemetery in [[Poplar, Wisconsin]].

Bong Terrace in Mount Holly, NJ, is named in his honor.

==Aerial victory credits==
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders collapsible collapsed" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border: none; text-align:right; width: 100%;"
|-style="color:white;"
! colspan="4" style="background-color: #3399ff" | Chronicle of aerial victories<ref name="Bong & O'Connor 1985 p. 210-212">Bong & O'Connor 1985 p. 210-212</ref>
|-style="color:white;"
! style="background-color: #3399ff" | Date<ref name="AF_AVC">{{Cite web|url=http://afhra.maxwell.af.mil/avc.asp|title=Aerial Victory Credits|publisher=Air Force Historical Research Agency|pages=(search on Name "begins with" "Bong", exclude those of BONGARTZ THEODORE R)|access-date=2012-06-06|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130216014149/http://afhra.maxwell.af.mil/avc.asp|archive-date=2013-02-16}}</ref>
! style="background-color: #3399ff" | # <ref name="AF_AVC" />
! style="background-color: #3399ff" | Location/Comment
! style="background-color: #3399ff" | Aircraft flown
|-
|December 27, 1942
|align="right" |2
|over Buna, 1 Val Dive Bomber & 1 Zero
|P-38F [[Lockheed P-38 Lightning|Lightning]], Lockheed
|-
|January 7, 1943
|align="right" |2
|[[Nakajima Ki-43|Nakajima Ki-43 "Oscars"]] over Lae
|P-38F
|-
|January 8, 1943
|align="right" |1
|over Lae Harbor, ace status
|P-38F
|-
|March 3, 1943
|align="right" |1
|[[A6M Zero|Mitsubishi A6M "Zero"]] during [[Battle of the Bismarck Sea]]
|P-38G-5
|-
|March 11, 1943
|align="right" |2
|"Zeroes"
|P-38G-5
|-
|March 29, 1943
|align="right" |1
|[[Reconnaissance plane]],<ref>Bong & O'Connor 1985, p. 210-212</ref> [[Mitsubishi Ki-46|Dinah Ki 46]]; promoted to 1st Lieutenant. Over [[Bismark Sea]]
|P-38G-5
|-
|April 14, 1943
|align="right" |1
|bomber, [[Mitsubishi G4M|Betty G4M]], over [[Milne Bay]]. Awarded [[Air Medal]].
|P-38G-5
|-
|June 12, 1943
|align="right" |1
|"Oscar" Ki-43,<ref name="Bong & O'Connor 1985 p. 210-212" /> over [[Bena Bena]]
|P-38G-5
|-
|July 26, 1943
|align="right" |4
|fighters, on escort over Lae; awarded DSC
|P-38G-5
|-
|July 28, 1943
|align="right" |1
|"Oscar", on escort over [[New Britain]].
|P-38G-5
|-
|September 6, 1943
|align="right" |0
|claimed two bombers, not confirmed; crash-landed at [[Mailinan]] airstrip
|P-38(?)
|-
|October 2, 1943
|align="right" |1
|[[Mitsubishi Ki-46|Mitsubishi Ki-46 "Dinah"]], over [[Gasmata]]
|P-38H
|-
|October 29, 1943
|align="right" |2
|"Zeros", over Japanese airfield at [[Rabaul]]
|P-38H
|-
|November 5, 1943
|align="right" |2
|"Zeros", over enemy airfield at Rabaul
|P-38H
|-
!colspan="4" |''December 1943 – January 1944: On leave in Wisconsin''
|-
!colspan="4" |''February 1944: assigned to Fifth Air Force Fighter Command HQ, but allowed to "free-lance".''
|-
|February 15, 1944
|align="right" |1
|[[Kawasaki Ki-61|Kawasaki Ki-61 "Tony"]] off [[Cape Hoskins]], New Britain
|P-38(?)
|-
|February 28, 1944
|align="right" |0
|destroyed a Japanese transport plane on the runway at [[Wewak]], New Guinea
|P-38(?)
|-
|March 3, 1944
|align="right" |2
|[[Mitsubishi Ki-21|Mitsubishi Ki-21 "Sally"]] bombers, over [[Tadji, Papua New Guinea|Tadji]], New Guinea
|P-38(?)
|-
|April 3, 1944
|align="right" |1
|fighter over [[Jayapura|Hollandia]], 25th credit
|P-38(?)
|-
|April 12, 1944
|align="right" |3
|surpassed [[Eddie Rickenbacker]]'s U.S. record of 26 kills
|P-38(?)
|-
!colspan="4" |''May–July 1944: on leave in U.S., made publicity tours''
|-
|October 10, 1944
|align="right" |2
|[[Nakajima J1N| Nakajima J1N "Irving"]] and "Oscar"
|P-38L-1
|-
|October 27, 1944
|align="right" |1
|"Oscar"
|P-38J
|-
|October 28, 1944
|align="right" |2
|"Oscars" off [[Leyte]]
|P-38L-1
|-
|November 10, 1944
|align="right" |1
|"Oscar" over [[Ormoc Bay]]
|P-38L-1
|-
|November 11, 1944
|align="right" |2
|Recommended for Medal of Honor.
|P-38L-1
|-
|December 7, 1944
|align="right" |2
|"Sally" and [[Nakajima Ki-44|Nakajima Ki-44 "Tojo"]], covering U.S. landings at [[Ormoc]]
|P-38L-1
|-
|December 15, 1944
|align="right" |1
|"Oscar"
|P-38L-1
|-
|December 17, 1944
|align="right" |1
|"Oscar" over [[Mindoro]].
|P38L-1
|}

==Military awards==
Bong's military decorations and awards include:
{| style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
|colspan="3"|[[File:USAAF Wings.png|250px]]
|-
|colspan="3"|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Medal of Honor ribbon.svg|width=106}}{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Distinguished Service Cross ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|-
|colspan="3"|{{ribbon devices|number=1|type=oak|ribbon=Silver Star ribbon.svg|width=106}}{{ribbon devices|number=6|type=oak|ribbon=Distinguished Flying Cross ribbon.svg|width=106}}{{ribbon devices|number=12|type=oak|ribbon=Air Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|-
|colspan="3"|{{ribbon devices|number=1|type=oak|ribbon=Air Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}}{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=American Defense Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}}{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=American Campaign Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|-
|colspan="3"|{{ribbon devices|number=5|type=service-star|ribbon=Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}}{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=World War II Victory Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}}{{ribbon devices|number=1|type=service-star|ribbon=Phliber rib.svg|width=106}}
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
|-
|colspan="12"|[[United States Aviator Badge|United States Army Air Forces pilot badge]]
|-
|colspan="6"|[[Medal of Honor]]
|colspan="6"|[[Distinguished Service Cross (United States)|Distinguished Service Cross]]
|-
|colspan="4"|[[Silver Star]]<br />w/ one Bronze [[Oak Leaf Cluster]]
|colspan="4"|[[Distinguished Flying Cross (USA)|Distinguished Flying Cross]]<br />w/ one Silver Oak Leaf Cluster <br>and one Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster
|colspan="4"|[[Air Medal]]<br />w/ two Silver Oak Leaf Clusters <br>and two Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters
|-
|colspan="4"|[[Air Medal]]<br />w/ one Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster
|colspan="4"|[[American Defense Service Medal]]
|colspan="4"|[[American Campaign Medal]]
|-
|colspan="4"|[[Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal]]<br />w/ one {{Fraction|3|16}}" [[Service star|silver star]]
|colspan="4"|[[World War II Victory Medal (United States)|World War II Victory Medal]]
|colspan="4"|[[Philippine Liberation Medal]]<br />w/ one {{Fraction|3|16}}" [[Service star|bronze star]]
|-
|}


{| style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
|-
|{{ribbon devices|number=1|type=oak|ribbon=United_States_Army_and_U.S._Air_Force_Presidential_Unit_Citation_ribbon.svg|106px}}[[File:Philippines Presidential Unit Citation.png|106px]]
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
|-
|[[Presidential Unit Citation (United States)|Army Presidential Unit Citation]] w/ one bronze [[oak leaf cluster]]
|[[Philippine Presidential Unit Citation]]
|-
|}

===Medal of Honor citation===
[[File:Cmoh_army.jpg|90px|left|Medal of Honor]]
:Rank and organization: Major, United States Army Air Forces
:Place and date: Over Borneo and Leyte, October 10 to November 15, 1944
:Entered service at: Poplar, Wisconsin
:Birth: Poplar, Wisconsin
:G.O. No.: 90, December 8, 1944

{{Blockquote|For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action above and beyond the call of duty in the Southwest Pacific area from October 10, to November 15, 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.<ref name=AMOHW>{{Cite web|access-date=December 9, 2007 |url=http://www.history.army.mil/html/moh/wwII-a-f.html |title=Richard Bong, Medal of Honor recipient |work=World War II (A–F) |publisher=[[United States Army Center of Military History]] |date=June 8, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080616211621/http://www.history.army.mil/html/moh/wwII-a-f.html |archive-date=June 16, 2008 }}</ref>}}

==Commemoration==
* [[Richard Bong State Recreation Area]] on the site of what was to be [[Bong Air Force Base]] in [[Kenosha County, Wisconsin]]
* [[Richard I. Bong Memorial Bridge]] along [[US Route 2]] in the [[Twin Ports]] of [[Duluth, Minnesota]] and [[Superior, Wisconsin]]
* [[Richard I. Bong Airport]] in Superior, Wisconsin
* Bong Barracks of the [[Aviation Challenge]] program
* Major Richard I. Bong Bridge on Macarthur Drive, [[Annandale, Queensland|Annandale]], [[Townsville]], Australia ({{Coord|-19.3125|146.7862|type:landmark_region:AU-QLD|display=|name=Major Richard I. Bong Bridge}})<ref>{{Cite web|title=Richard Ira Bong - Ace of Aces|url=https://www.ozatwar.com/ozatwar/bong.htm|access-date=2020-10-17|website=Australia@War}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Major Richard Bong {{!}} Monument Australia|url=https://monumentaustralia.org.au/themes/people/foreigners/display/90407-major-richard-bong|access-date=2020-10-17|website=Monument Australia}}</ref>
* Major Richard Ira Bong Squadron of the Arnold Air Society at the University of Wisconsin
* Richard Bong Theatre in [[Misawa, Aomori|Misawa]], Japan and the 613th Air and Space Operations Center, Thirteenth Air Force, Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii.
* Bong Avenues on the former site of the decommissioned [[Richards-Gebaur]] Air Force Base, on [[Lackland Air Force Base|Lackland AFB]] in [[San Antonio, Texas]], on [[Luke AFB]] in [[Glendale, Arizona]], on [[Elmendorf AFB]] in [[Anchorage, Alaska]], [[Fairchild AFB]] in [[Spokane WA]] and on Kadena AFB in Okinawa, Japan. Bong Blvd on Barksdale AFB in Bossier City, Louisiana. 
* Bong Terrace, [[Mount Holly Township, New Jersey]] (Mount View neighborhood, built 1956–1957).
* Bong Street, [[Dayton, Ohio]], leading to the [[National Museum of the United States Air Force]], and on Holloman AFB near Alamogordo, NM.
* [[National Aviation Hall of Fame]] (1986)<ref>{{cite web |title=Enshrinee Richard Bong |url=https://nationalaviation.org/enshrinee/richard-ira-bong/ |website=nationalaviation.org |publisher=National Aviation Hall of Fame |access-date=27 January 2023}}</ref>
* Wisconsin Aviation Hall of Fame (1987).<ref>{{cite web|title=Richard Ira Bong|url=http://www.wisconsinaviationhalloffame.org/inductees/bong.htm|access-date=10 December 2013}}</ref>
*Bong was named as the [[USAFA Class exemplar|class exemplar]] at the [[United States Air Force Academy]] for the Class of 2003.
*International Air and Space Hall of Fame (2018)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://sandiegoairandspace.org/press/release/worlds-most-prestigious-air-space-hall-of-fame-to-enshrine-distinguished-cl|title=World's Most Prestigious Air & Space Hall of Fame to Enshrine Distinguished Class of 2018|website=San Diego Air & Space Museum|access-date=October 30, 2019}}</ref>

===Richard I. Bong Veterans Historical Center===
The Richard I. Bong Veterans Historical Center in Superior, Wisconsin is housed in a structure intended to resemble an aircraft [[hangar]], and contains a museum, a film screening room, and a P-38 Lightning restored to resemble Bong's plane.

<gallery>
File:Bong Heritage Center (1).JPG|Richard Bong Veterans Historical Center
File:Bong Heritage Center (2).JPG|Replica of Bong's [[Lockheed P-38 Lightning|P-38 Lightning]]
File:Bong Heritage Center.jpg|Bong's [[victory marking]] on P-38
</gallery>

==See also==
*[[List of Medal of Honor recipients for World War II#B|List of Medal of Honor recipients for World War II]]
*[[Thomas McGuire]], American combat pilot with the second-most enemy planes shot down, World War II

==Notes==
{{Reflist|30em}}


==References==
*{{Cite book|last=Bong|first=Carl|title=Dear Mom: So We Have a War|year=1993|publisher=Burgess Publishing|isbn=0-8087-8413-7|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MLx5AAAACAAJ}}
*{{Cite web|title=Bong, Richard |work=Medal of Honor recipients: World War II (A–F) |publisher=[[United States Army Center of Military History]] |date=June 8, 2009 |url=http://www.history.army.mil/html/moh/wwII-a-f.html |access-date=December 9, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080616211621/http://www.history.army.mil/html/moh/wwII-a-f.html |archive-date=June 16, 2008 }}
*Bong, Carl & O'Connor, Mike.  1985. "Ace of Aces, The Dick Bong Story." 2nd Edition; {{ISBN|0-912173-06-8}}
*{{cite journal |last1=Cony|first1=Christophe|title="Dick Bong", roi du Pacifique |journal=Avions: Toute l'Aéronautique et son histoire |date=July 2001 |issue=100 |pages=49–54 |trans-title="Dick" Bong, King of the Pacific|language=fr |issn=1243-8650}}
*{{Cite book|last=Kenney |first=George C.|title=Dick Bong: America's Ace of Aces|location=Superior, Wisconsin: Richard I. Bong WWII Heritage Center|year=2003|orig-year=1960|isbn=0-9722373-0-5}}
*{{Cite book|title=Aces High: The Heroic Saga of the Two Top-Scoring American Aces of World War II|last=Yenne|first=Bill|publisher=Penguin Group|year=2009|isbn=978-0-425-21954-6}}

==External links==
*{{Cite web|url=https://www.bvhcenter.org/|title=Richard I. Bong Veterans Historical Center}}
*{{Cite web |url=http://www.acesofww2.com/USA/aces/bong/ |title=Richard "Dick" Bong, American Ace of aces at acesofww2.com}}
*{{Cite web |url=http://www.acepilots.com/usaaf_Bong.html |title=AcePilots.com: USAF Bong |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080427035614/http://www.acepilots.com/usaaf_bong.html |archive-date=2008-04-27 }}
*{{Cite web |url=http://www.j-aircraft.com/research/rdunn/248th/248th.htm |title=248th Hiko Sentai: A Japanese "Hard Luck" Fighter unit {Copyrighted-for reference only}}}
*{{Cite web|url=http://www.af.mil/history/person.asp?dec=&pid=123006479|title=USAF History. People: ''Major Richard Bong''|website=Air Force Link|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051025063931/http://www.af.mil/history/person.asp?dec=&pid=123006479|archive-date=October 25, 2005|url-status=dead}}
*{{Cite journal |url=http://www.flightjournal.com/blog/2012/09/21/wingman-to-the-aces/#comhttp://www.flightjournal.com/blog/2012/09/21/wingman-to-the-aces/ |title=Wingman to the Aces, LT Floyd Fulkerson, Ultimate Wingman |first=John |last=Dejanovich |journal=Flight Journal |date=December 2012}}
*{{Find a Grave|2375}}
* {{imdb name|15252495}}

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