Richard Bong | |
|---|---|
 Major Bong c. 1945 | |
| Birth name | Richard Ira Bong |
| Nickname(s) | "Dick" Bong |
| Born | September 24, 1920 Superior, Wisconsin, United States |
| Died | August 6, 1945 (aged 24) North Hollywood, California, United States |
| Buried | Poplar, Wisconsin, United States |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Service |  United States Army Air Forces |
| Years of service | 1941–1945 |
| Rank |  Major |
| Unit | 49th Fighter Group |
| Battles / wars | World War II |
| Awards | Medal of Honor Distinguished Service Cross Silver Star (2) Distinguished Flying Cross (7) Air Medal (15) |
Richard "Dick" Ira Bong (September 24, 1920 – 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 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. He died in California while testing a 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.