Good Read - HL 151 (1)

    I apologize to  Jack and the readers but two enclosed pics did not come through.

From: Jack Weymouth

Date: 12/15/2012 5:39:14 PM

To: PCN Dir;

Subject: Fwd: EIGHT TIMES OVER MINIMUM . . Fighter Ace ' Dick ' Bong

 

Richard [ Ira ] Bong was born in the 1920's, in Wisconsin. He was the first of nine children born on his family's farm near Lake Superior. His father had come from Sweden as a boy, while his mother's grandparents were Scot-English.

It's not a well-known fact that Dick Bong wasn't just a farm boy. He ranked 10th academically out of 428 seniors. Between his farm chores and classes, Bong still made time to compete in baseball, basketball and ice hockey.

Even as a youngster, Dick hunted for the supper table and became a skilled deer, pheasant stalker and avid ' one-shot ' huntsman. As he accumulated significant Winchester-time melded with natural capabilities to make Bong into a superb wing shot

In 1928, Bong's interest in aviation coincided with President Coolidge's vacation on Lake Superior. The U.S. President established his summer ' White House ' at Dick Bong's high school.

President Coolidge's impressive stack of mail was delivered to him daily, by airplane. Bong later recalled : " President Coolidge's mailplane flew right over my house. I knew then . . that I wanted to be a pilot."

He began to act out his thoughts through countless hours of assembling, then

flying hand-built model airplanes off the top of the farm's wind mill.

Determined to become a pilot, Bong entered college and simultaneously enrolled

in a government-sponsored pilot training program and soon earned a private pilot license in a 65 hp. Piper Cub.

After 2 1/2 years of college, Dick passed all of the entrance tests and enlisted in the Army Air Corp's Aviation Cadet program. It was just before Pearl Harbor.

Bong trained in the Stearman and BT-13 aircraft, before being sent to advanced

single-engine training in the North American T-6 at Luke AFB.

One of his gunnery instructors at Luke was Capt. Barry Goldwater, who later said :

" Bong was a very bright fighter gunnery student. "

However, the most poignant written comment came from a check pilot : " Richard Bong is the finest natural dog fight pilot I've ever met. There was no way I could keep Bong from getting on my tail. He didn't even seem necessary for him to consciously

think about it. Whatever moves I would make - he'd just ' get back there anyway ! "

Dick Bong completed advanced fighter school in 1942. However, because Dick's

student gunnery scores were ' record-setters,' his commanding officer kept him on

as a gunnery instructor for several months.

Bong was later sent to Lockheed P-38s at Hamilton AB for aerial combat training. It was there Bong raised the ire but THEN the admiration of George C. Kenney soon to become a key General under Douglas MacArthur.

Hamilton AB's prime California location generated temptations resulting in aerial antics by Bong, such as loops around the Golden Gate . . and waving to secretaries while slow flying outside their office windows.

Unfortunately, Bong's buzzing prop wash blew some lady's clean wet wash off into

the dirt of her backyard . . and he was ' betrayed ' by an unpatriotic Oakland house- wife.

Kenney chewed him out, then ordered him : " Lt. Bong, Monday morning you check

this address out in Oakland. And if the woman has any washing to be hung out on

the line . . you do it for her. Then, when the clothes are dry, take them off the line

and bring them into the house for her. And don't drop any of them on the ground or you will have to do it all over again. I want this woman to think we are good for some-thing else besides annoying people. Now . . get out of here, before I change my mind, Bong. "

General MacArthur selected George C. Kenney to head the Fifth Air Force in the Pacific. And Kenney quickly called for fifty of his P-38 pilots from Hamilton to be sent to Australia to fight the Japanese.

He made certain that Dick Bong was selected among the fifty P-38 fighter pilots.

To gain air combat experience, while awaiting the P-38's delivery, Bong was sent to the 39th Squadron of P-38's then flying from New Guinea's southeastern edge.

Although an introvert on the ground, Bong was always the aggressor in the air. He was eager to dog fight or to ' jump all over ' any combat action.

Regardless of the odds against him . . Dick Bong did not care. So he would dive into [ or climb into ] any enemy formation . . within in his lethal reach.

After flying mostly routine patrols, the 39th got into a good fight with the Japanese on December 27, 1942.

Dick Bong was in a flight of twelve (12) P-38's that intercepted a flight of forty (40) Japanese fighters and bombers on the New Guinea's northern edge. The Lightning's shot down twelve (12) enemy planes.

And during the ensuing melee, Bong accounted for two victories - a Zero and a ' Val ' light bomber downed.

While attacking a Japanese convoy of ships carrying reinforcements, a few days later, Bong added two enemy ' Oscar ' fighters to his score. On the following day, he knocked down another Oscar to become a fighter ace in just over 30 days. General Kenney sent him on rest and recuperation ' time-off ' in Australia.

In early February, Dick Bong joined the 9th Fighter Squadron on the SE edge of New Guinea jungle's Southeast edge.

On the opening day of the Battle of the Bismarck Sea, Bong downed a Zero while escorting B-17s and B-25s targeting a convoy. And in the next four weeks, he added

a couple more Zeros plus a Japanese bomber. General Kenney gave Bong an immed-iate promotion to 1st Lieutenant.

The following month, the Japanese flew down with ninety-two ( 92 ) fighters, dive- bombers and bombers to attack U.S. shipping in New Guinea. The response of the Air Corps defending P-38s allowed Bong to earn Double Ace.

After another Australian R&R, Bong returned to his squadron. But even with his superior eyesight . . he had no further success.

Until June 12th, when he achieved an 11th victory - a flamed Zero.

However . . on July 26th . . Dick Bong really upped his score.

He downed four Japanese fighters from the bee-hive of enemy fighters trying to stop American bombers from striking a strategic Japanese-controlled area of New Guinea.

Just 5 months after Bong's making 1st Lt. Gen. Kenney promoted him to Captain.

In the meantime, while escorting B-25 bombers enroute to attack Japanese

destroyers, Bong made to opportunity to shot down a Japanese ' Oscar.'

But Bong's P-38 was badly shot up, during the dog fighting, however, he was able to finesse the aircraft into a safe return.

He was now top Pacific Ace with 16 kills.

After another R&R, Bong returned to his squadron in early September. More dog fights and he picked up some bullets but made a forced landing in friendly territory [ with one engine shot to pieces. ] Bong had added two unconfirmed enemy bomber ' shoot downs ' prior to his being compelled to make the forced landing.

A short while later, he was promoted to Flight Commander after downing a Dinah bomber.

While attacking an enemy airfield up in Rabaul, a few weeks later, Dick Bong destroyed two (2) more Japanese Zeros during dog fights, bringing his total to 21.

Bong was ordered to report to General Kenney while taking another R&R . . this time to the States . . where he was ordered to report to General ' Hap' Arnold in D.C.

Stopping by to see his family, Dick plunged into his mother's cooking, then hung out with his buddies.

While Bong had been away to war, gorgeous Marjorie Vattendahl had been

elected Home-Coming Queen of his high school. Dick immediately crowned as King. When she met Dick Bong in his uniform full of combat ribbons for the first time. She was awestruck. So was Bong. And for much of his leave they were inseparable.

He participated in parades, speeches, awards and honors to boost war morale. But then it was time to return to combat.

When Bong returned to the Pacific, Kenney put him in charge of replacement aircraft. In this assignment Dick was allowed to choose his combat missions. He also acquired a brand new P-38, quickly had a huge picture of Marjorie painted on it.

His first victory in ' Marge' came off New Britain, when Bong flamed a Tony fighter.

A couple of weeks later, Bong destroyed a Japanese transport plane carrying high-ranking Japanese officers as it taxied along a landing strip.

Bong didn't count that one.

Then on March 3rd he shot down two Sally bombers in a sweep over a Japanese stronghold, to gain victories 23 and 24, but Bong's best friend didn't make it through the fighter sweep alive.

So, General Kenney now ordered Bong out of action for a while. Another R&R for Bong where he also had an appointment with General MacArthur.

On April 3rd, after Bong returned to New Guinea, he got his 25th victory, a Japan-ese fighter, over Hollandia. Then there was another strike at Hollandia, where he was given credit for two more kills plus a " probable. "

This brought his total kills to 27 . . surpassing Capt. Eddie Rickenbacker's earlier WW I record of 26 victories. [ Later, Bong's "probable" was confirmed as a victory, bringing his confirmed total to 28. ]

This achievement was brightly flashed 'round the world. And ' Dick ' Bong's name became a household word.

General Kenney took him out of action again . . promoted him to Major. And Eddie Rickenbacker sent Bong a message of congratulations reading :

" I just received the good news that you are the first one to break my record by bringing down 27 planes in combat. I hasten to offer my sincere congratulations

with the hope that you ' double or triple ' this number."

General Kenney sent Bong on leave to the U.S. in May, 1944. He was also armed with a letter to Hap Arnold asking that Bong be allowed to research the latest gunnery

techniques and technology and be better equipped to accept his new assignment to in charge of fighter pilot gunnery training in the Pacific.

When Major Bong arrived in Washington, D.C., General Arnold gave him a pass to go home to Wisconsin. Back at home, he was an even greater hero than before. The highlight of his leave, however, was when he proposed to Marge and she accepted.

When Bong returned to Washington, ' Hap ' Arnold sent him on a 15-state tour to promote war bonds. He also visited various aerial gunnery training bases. He spent the next two months learning the latest gunnery techniques.

These new techniques were to improve his combat results.

He returned to the Pacific and reported to General Kenney was now head of all the U.S. Army Air Forces in the Far East. Bong was assigned duty as an advanced gunnery instructor, but he was permitted to go on missions to see how his students fared in combat using the newest techniques. He was ordered not to initiate . . but only to defend himself if attacked.

Then, on October 10th, the Americans pulled a successful long-range air raid on Borneo's oil refineries. The Japanese lost 61 planes and the Americans lost only 5.

Two of the enemy fighters went down under Bong's aggressive attack, raising his personal victory total to 30.

Kenney heard of it . . and grounded Dick Bong from any further air combat.

In October, American troops waded ashore on Leyte Island in the Philippines as MacArthur had promised. Two airfields vital to the invasion were worked over to receive, service and refuel American fighters.

Bong's squadron flew into the Philippines. Kenney and MacArthur personally greeted each pilot. Bong, used the opportunity to seek out General Kennedy and persuaded him that he [ Bong ] should be allowed to fly combat during the very crucial Philippine invasion.

That afternoon above the vital airfields, Japanese fighters attempted a raid. Bong brought down one fighter. Two Oscars he later destroyed two ' Oscars ' bringing his total to 33 kills.

Just two weeks later, while escorting U.S. bombers attacking a Japanese troop convoy, Bong got number 34 . . an Oscar. The following morning, he knocked down number 35.

Then number 36.

However, something was eventful was happening along the way. General Kenney requested General MacArthur that Dick be awarded the Medal of Honor.

And MacArthur wholeheartedly approved.

The citation forwarded to D.C. where it was approved and read : " 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, Major Bong voluntarily, and at his own urgent request, engaged in repeated combat mis-sions, including unusually hazardous sorties over Balik-Papan, Borneo, and the Philippines. His aggressiveness and daring resulted in his shooting down eight enemy planes during this critical period."

General MacArthur personally presented Bong with his Medal Of Honor. While standing there smiling at each other, Douglas MacArthur threw away his prepared talk and told Dick :

" Major Richard Ira Bong, who has ruled the air from New Guinea to the Philippines, I now induct you into the society of the bravest of the brave, the wearers of the Medal of Honor of the United States of America."

December 7th was a big day.

After Bong flamed a Sally bomber and a Tojo fighter. Then a few days later, he

knocked down an Oscar fighter over Panubulon Island. Then destroyed another over Mindora island.

When General Kenney found out that he had now 40 victories, he ordered Bong to park his P-38 and just forever walk away from the airplane.

Against his will . . Dick Bong was ordered to become an non-combatant

It was time for Dick Bong to return home. Behind him now was two years of combat amounting to over 500 air combat hours.

In scoring his 40 confirmed victories, he had also had 7 "probables" victories, and damaged 11 other aircraft.

Bong missed shooting down only 30 of the 80 or so of the enemy aircraft he engaged in aerial combat.

Bong arrived in the States and received an enormous welcoming from his Nation.

When his leave was over, Bong was assigned to the Flight Test Section at Wright-Patterson. He was checked out in a P-80, then logged 4 hours flight time in the Lock-heed Shooting Star jet fighter.

At 2:30 p.m. on August 6th, Bong pointed a P-80's nose down the Lockheed factory's Runway 33, added full power, released the brakes, accelerated smoothly down the runway and took-off.

Two minutes later, the plane was smoldering wreckage and Bong's body, partially wrapped in the shrouds of his parachute, was found 100 feet from the jet's engine.

After surviving two intense years of high-risk aerial combat, he perished in a routine acceptance flight when his plane's engine flamed out after take-off.

Unfortunately, Dick had not engaged his electric fuel pump ' take-off and land '

back up switch prior to take-off. When the primary fuel pump failed.

And in an attempt to exit the flamed out aircraft [ there were no ejection seats on the early jets ] Dick opened the canopy, stood up in the seat and pulled the rip cord. His chute extracted him, but its nylon canopy caught on the tail's vertical stabilizer.

A very tragic end to a very great American aviator and hero, who went out fighting all of the way to the ground..

There is a Bong Memorial room in his high school that includes his uniform, all twenty-six of his decorations, photographs, newspaper clippings and even a frag- ment of the plane in which he was killed. Outside the library is mounted a Lightning fighter, similar to the one he flew to glory.

Sources : Bong Heritage Center, various and abridged
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