P-38 Lightning was a plane that is iconic in its design, performance, firepower and esthetics. Overshadowed by later designs.. the plane was a great achievement and the pilots were the cherry on top. As an Aussie we don't really appreciate the sacrifice and legacy of US for Australias prosperity. Thanks to our US allies for past, present and future support. Lest We Forget.
@GordonWaiteJr3 жыл бұрын
I only hope you can do the same for us as we slide down the rabbit hole of Socialism and the inevitable communist domination that follows.
@jessmarks22143 жыл бұрын
@@GordonWaiteJr Yep.. We have a debt of honour to the US.... and will always pay my share of bill.
@jacquesblaque77283 жыл бұрын
@@GordonWaiteJr Oh goodie, another wannabe, marginal political scientist lurches to the podium. Bless his little heart, dumbass..
@jessmarks22143 жыл бұрын
@@jacquesblaque7728 guessing your name is a non-deplume or you're truly cursed by your parents? So you work as: A) public employee. B) Doctor, lawyer or advocate C) teacher / lecturer. D) CCP/MSS Shill?
@dangreene98463 жыл бұрын
In my opinion the best plane produced in WW II . It was so versatile it could do anything.
@DaneOrschlovsky2 жыл бұрын
I think we should all take a moment and recognize the epicness of Dick Bong's name. That's an All-Time name right there, and it deserves to be remembered.
@darkskyinwinter Жыл бұрын
I was debating if I wanted to stay up a bit longer to watch a video about a war hero, and then I saw the guy's name and almost died 🤣
@jimvargaco.6344 Жыл бұрын
We've got a state recreation area named for him. The Bong Recreation Area.
@DaneOrschlovsky Жыл бұрын
@@jimvargaco.6344 I bet it's been a popular spot for youngsters to recreate with their bongs over the years 😂
@keithkearns93 Жыл бұрын
My wife bought a dick bong in Bali.
@brainkill7034 Жыл бұрын
Amen
@royalsummitinc.119 Жыл бұрын
My dad witnessed Maj. Bong shoot down a Japanese Zero in the Philippines. As my dad would say, "he blew him out of the sky." Bong flew back over the US Base, upside down, after the shooting down the Zero, saluting the soldiers on the ground, then pulled up and performed several 360's as he climbed in his P-38. My dad never forgot that moment and referred to it often during his life. He never met Maj. Bong but talked about him often. My dad kept a model of the P-38 on his desk.
@titusmaximus72787 ай бұрын
He was Top Gun Numero Uno
@jaketokar90003 жыл бұрын
I grew up in Bong's hometown (Poplar, WI). We were taught his story from a young age. Such a fantastic and tragic story for a simple farm boy from Northern Wisco. I was always disappointed to never see him featured in a documentary or on the History Channel so I greatly appreciate you making this video.
@sillysongs192 жыл бұрын
so you have seen the "Bong Recreation Area" :)
@diverbob332 жыл бұрын
I moved to Wisconsin in the early 80's to attend college. It was then that I learned about Major Bong and his fascinating life. So sad he had to die so young!
@minnil79272 жыл бұрын
@@sillysongs19 that’s actually in southeastern Wisconsin and northern wisco is way further
@kennethhamilton5633 Жыл бұрын
Where you been think I saw him on AHC channel, Maguire and the other of the top three overall aces flew 38s. Been reading and hearing bout him and the others for a while in the " two planes one pilot"
@banditeastlick2471 Жыл бұрын
Superior Wisconsin name a bridge in his name, The Bong Bridge. It was built long after the High Bridge was built so there was a little protest from people who were unaware of who Bong was
@xraytonyb3 жыл бұрын
My father was a forward observer in New Guinea. He knew Major Bong and told me stories of how he used to call him in for the airstrikes and how they would talk to one another on the radio while on missions. I had no idea how famous he was until I visited the Dayton Air Museum and found a display there of him. Like many war veterans, my dad rarely spoke of the war, but this was one of the things he told me about. Thanks for the video.
@dougdobbs3 жыл бұрын
What an amazing story, thanks for sharing that!
@Briguy10273 жыл бұрын
Your Father was a hero too -- being a forward observer is definitely a risky job.
@thomasbeimly10893 жыл бұрын
National Air Force museum - yes i live in dayton...
@ArtCoDroneAndEntertianment3 жыл бұрын
My dad was in the 1089 Signal company at that time.
@charlieyankee10463 жыл бұрын
@@thomasbeimly1089 Jesus please shut up you don’t own it.
@M-1996A13 жыл бұрын
It hasn’t even started yet and this man is my hero.
@MagniKhan3 жыл бұрын
Maj.Bong has that effect on people.
@pegtooth20063 жыл бұрын
@@MagniKhan bwahhaha!
@TheMyrmo3 жыл бұрын
You could not go wrong, with a man named Dick Bong.
@stocchinet3 жыл бұрын
Just the name gives off powerful Chad energy
@MagniKhan3 жыл бұрын
@@stocchinet Everything about this hero give off super Chad energy.....and all before the age of 24.
@21mozzie3 жыл бұрын
I'm a bit perplexed at how they wanted to keep him alive, so they took him out of combat and he ended up in one of the only non-combat jobs that probably had a higher chance of killing him.
@robertgiles9124 Жыл бұрын
That's the military all over.
@cheddar2648 Жыл бұрын
Pilots are not compelled into the Test Pilot role. As in many such endeavors, only volunteers are selected.
@BogeyTheBear Жыл бұрын
They just sent him home. He was looking for a way to keep flying, short of buying his own airplane.
@stephenmiller91243 жыл бұрын
My family and I lived in Duluth, Minnesota 1957-1962. When we drove to Michigan for summer vacation, we passed through Poplar, Wisconsin. My father stopped our car so we could see the P-38 mounted on a pedestal in honor of Major Dick Bong. I read the tribute to America's ace of aces. I marveled at the streamlined beauty of the twin engined fighter plane. The Lockheed P-38 Lightning became my all time favorite WWII fighter aircraft. I have read that the day he died, Major Bong was scheduled to either eat lunch or play golf with Bob Hope. Not sure if that is true or not. Dick Bong deserves to be remembered. Thank you History Guy! This is your best episode ever!
@joshuamccormick54973 жыл бұрын
This channel constantly reminds me that we walk in the footsteps of giants.
@davidsigalow73493 жыл бұрын
True. We live the world they saved.
@sindarpeacheyeisacommie86883 жыл бұрын
We owe it to them to be better people.
@cornbreadfedkirkpatrick96473 жыл бұрын
uh, you left out the shadows of giants
@Getorix3 жыл бұрын
@@cornbreadfedkirkpatrick9647 nah we're not in their shadows. They carry us on their shoulders.
@cornbreadfedkirkpatrick96473 жыл бұрын
@@Getorix sometimes when we are worthy
@maddogmorgan13 жыл бұрын
We have a bridge in Townsville Australia named after Richard Bong. He spent a bit of time there in WW2
@somebloke38693 жыл бұрын
Us Aussies just love anything called Bong. Great to know the actual reason for the name of the bridge now.
@dizzyborden36183 жыл бұрын
@@somebloke3869 I'll second that :)
@zedhead28643 жыл бұрын
Heeey, we have a Bong Bridge as well!!! kzfaq.info/get/bejne/gdR-a9N5pquZZZs.html
@maddyg32083 жыл бұрын
My granddad was an RAAF intelligence officer in FNQ during WW2. I wonder if he met Lt Bong.
@ConnersCaptures3 жыл бұрын
@@zedhead2864 Yup, Duluth and superior Minnesota. They also have a museum dedicated to him
@306champion3 жыл бұрын
As a warbird fan as well as a fan of the blokes that flew them, thank you for another great bit of history. Suggestion ; Try looking into Clive Caldwell, an Australian WWII fighter pilot who was an Ace five or six times over. He served in the Middle East and later in the South Pacific against the Japanese and because he traded whisky and gin with the yanks for ammo, fuel, and other necessities to carry on the fight he was demoted back to a Flight Lieutenant and received no recognition for his efforts.
@Mohawks_and_Tomahawks3 жыл бұрын
He's an Ace in my books, just because of his Name.
@travishemming37833 жыл бұрын
Yep, gotta be careful with a Google Image search.
@yeanah25713 жыл бұрын
I can be almost 40, but I swear, the right combination of words makes me 6 again. This is probably the most incredible example of funny names ever.
@The5thGen2 жыл бұрын
I am 58 years old and his name is the only reason I clicked on this!
@ExploreUnderground2 жыл бұрын
All these comments are gold! Haha
@Catatonic27893 жыл бұрын
I am truly floored by the sheer volume of HIGH QUALITY contact you're able to produce. This channel is an extremely valuable body of work, every single one of your videos is fascinating and thought-provoking
@kcsmiscvideos2183 жыл бұрын
Hear hear!
@clydedopheide10333 жыл бұрын
ABSOLUTELY AGREE!
@scottdodge69793 жыл бұрын
Agreed! Definitely one of the top history channels on the internet. I could spend hours watching his videos. If I w as a teacher I would show his videos every Friday or Monday. The man makes history interesting which is a bit of rare skill along historians.
@timzahniser21023 жыл бұрын
i agree! definitely one of the best youtube channels
@Guitfiddlejase3 жыл бұрын
I could not agree more!
@DavidRexGlenn3 жыл бұрын
I live on Minnesota's North Shore, forty miles from Superior, WI and this is the most I have ever heard anyone speak about this great man's life. Thank you!
@WALTERBROADDUS3 жыл бұрын
That is sad....
@douglascountyhistoricalsoc51003 жыл бұрын
Visit the Veterans center/museum here in Superior. For that matter visit all 5 of our museums.
@moyockmoo23 жыл бұрын
But everyone in Minnesota knows George Floyd's name. So very unfair and sad.
@riffhammeron3 жыл бұрын
I drove over the Bong Bridge for years and never thought to research who he was.
@ExploreUnderground2 жыл бұрын
@@WALTERBROADDUS I came to write that. If only the "run of the mill American" was as proud of their vets and history as they are of their 2nd ammendment. Fortunately, there are social media platforms these days for videos like this; and historians like The History Guy that thoroughly enjoy keeping - and in cases like this, almost giving a rebirth to the legacy these legends helped to afford us all. I am Canadian, and typically stay away from politics as it bears very little weight in our day to day lives (unlike most countries these days) But even with the sickening after effects of the 2 nukes, I am still proud to say 'we' were on the same team. (We also tend to talk about wars worth fighting - WW1&2 - the rest is a sad story that is frankly embarrassing) as if we are all on the same team. 'Allied force' where Americans tend to say US this and that and like the rest of us together were the USA's partner lol Know what I mean? LoL America tried to stay out of the war (WW2 - which I can respect all day) and weren't part of it (besides materials, supplies and whatnot) for years. So I can see the separation, but if you look at it that way, the Allies would be the main team and USA the partner lol Like I said, we were all on the same team. Even if you came late to the party haha Let's face it, if you faught in either war.. you are either a hero or a psychopath. Doesn't even matter what team you're fighting for or what country you hail from. We ALL did some pretty bad shit that wouldn't fly today. (This is by no means Nazi or Imperial sympathy, in case anyone got that vibe - just facts) Here's hoping the world doesn't see another war like either of those and countries start minding their own business and focus on defense.. not offense. Life would be better for everyone. I would never join the military unless we were under threat of attack. I couldn't be sent to a war that shouldn't be happening to be potentially killed for causes I disagree with (if I was even told the real reason..) and live with myself after. This is why Canada doesn't have a massive military, nobody wants to hurt us.. we don't go rob ppl. So we don't need it. If something came up and it was required, we would have a formidable military as we have every other time we needed one. (Please don't come at me with some ridiculous Canada is protected by the USA bs.. still the same team, guys... still the same team.. lol Not to mention the US army couldn't take a fort from a handful of Frenchman - confident as ever though "as easy as marching in there" ok then lol Then we promptly burned down the Whitehouse, but that's just funny to me. Not an attack on the US army. You guys kick ass, just gotta learn to kick the right asses.
@behlinski3 жыл бұрын
My mother lived on a farm near Poplar, WI. She went to school with him and knew him quite well. He loved to race cars back in those days.
@connornyberg68783 жыл бұрын
Thank you for posting this video, Major Richard Bong is my cousin three times removed. As a child, my grandpa met Richard and took a photo with him because my great grandma used to babysit Richard when he was little. I feel as though Richard isn't really talked about often due to his unfortunate early death, so he never had the opportunity to tell his tales and legacy like many other aces who overshadow him. It really is a privilege to be related to him, even if I am just a distant cousin. Richard has always been someone I look up to.
@dumpstin Жыл бұрын
That’s amazing - does anyone know what happened to his siblings ?
@David-bf6bz3 жыл бұрын
There is a "Bong" street on most USAF bases. Nice to know the back story.
@maddogmorgan13 жыл бұрын
We have a bridge in Townsville Australia named after Richard Bong
@rodneyarneson2333 жыл бұрын
There is a state park in Wisconsin called Bong state park.
@LJHibt7103 жыл бұрын
There is a Bong recreation area just north of the Illinois/Wisconsin state line off I-94. It was always a point of interest for frequent travelers between Milwaukee and Chicago, now we know.
@ecouturehandmades51663 жыл бұрын
The Bong bridge is one of two between Duluth, MN & Superior, WI.
@ronalddregan94313 жыл бұрын
The answer is actually what you may have initially thought- it’s weed related. Bong’s grandfather changed his name on 4/20/1865. He was from Jamaica, queens and known as the “”Stoned Wall.” He smoked a native plant through his repeating rifle.
@jeffreyholdeman30423 жыл бұрын
The parallels of Maj. Bong and GySgt Basilone are uncanny. Men who have given every measure of themselves and come out on top. Chosen to spread their immense knowledge and experience to keep others alive in a training environment….but they feel they must do it themselves. Truly the greatest generation.
@liberalsockpuppet47723 жыл бұрын
My daughter had Basilone's great grandnice as her pre-school teacher.
@tomh61833 жыл бұрын
Truly stated
@altrausch57753 жыл бұрын
My mom worked with Maj Bong while he was assigned to Lockheed flying the P-80. She was a secretary for the commander of the USAAF office at the Burbank plant. She said Maj Bong was always friendly and modest, you'd never think he was America's greatest ace by talking with him, just an all American farm boy. The office was devastated by his crash in the P-80. Like everyone working at Lockheed Burbank, she also had great respect for Milo Burcham, another terrible loss. With today's highly reliable FADEC controlled engines, it's hard to remember just how temperamental those early jet engines were.
@tippersteffi13 жыл бұрын
As a retired USAF pilot I first got interested in flying from my dad who was in the Army Air Corp during WWII…..as a small child I remember him telling me about Major Bong and how brave he was……but in my 30 years in the AF I don’t recall anyone talking about him.
@DawnOldham3 жыл бұрын
What a brave young man. He died younger than three of my five children. I can’t imagine the loss of such a person. Of all the honors he received, the best we can give is to keep him alive in history lessons. Thank you, THG for doing that!
@whiterabbit-wo7hw3 жыл бұрын
Sorry ma'am for your loss. God bless you.
@tomh61833 жыл бұрын
God bless.
@DawnOldham3 жыл бұрын
@@whiterabbit-wo7hw I didn’t explain myself well… our five children are thankfully still living. What I meant to say was that the young man in this video died at an age younger than three of our children currently are. I can’t imagine this happening to one of them!
@DawnOldham3 жыл бұрын
@@tomh6183 I didn’t explain myself well… our five children are thankfully still living. What I meant to say was that the young man in this video died at an age younger than three of our children currently are. I can’t imagine this happening to one of them is what I should have written!
@leeadams59413 жыл бұрын
Dick Bong was indeed a hero, but please do not forget his rival Tommy McGuire who had 38 kills at the time of his death over the Philippines
@stanstenson81683 жыл бұрын
Pretty sure that is him in the picture at 11:07.
@jcreateturner3 жыл бұрын
I never could find the story of Bong until I got a book about Bong and Maguire. Both stories are jaw dropping.
@egocyclic3 жыл бұрын
As much as I admire Bong, I'd rather see a film on McGuire. He seemed more complicated as a person and, if contemporary accounts are accurate, borderline unlikeable. I think his life would make a more interesting story.
@stanstenson81683 жыл бұрын
@@jcreateturner I read that book in high school. Can't remember the name of it, but it was a great book.
@steveperreira58503 жыл бұрын
Surprised he did not mention Tommy McGuire.
@budrohammbone28063 жыл бұрын
I read about Richard Bong in the early '70's while in Junior High. I recall one account of his flying skill where He would pull power back on one engine and goose the other to facilitate tighter turns in a Dog Fight. Driving it like a tractor (braking one wheel) must've worked.
@CFITOMAHAWK22 жыл бұрын
That is how you turn them on the ground.
@dyer2cycle Жыл бұрын
..I've heard Tommy McGuire used those tactics, also..in fact, some accounts say that he was doing some such maneuver at very low altitude in combat, and stalled, and the reason he crashed and died in the dogfight...
@haeuptlingaberja49273 жыл бұрын
When I was a hippie kid back in the 70s, we used to laugh about the Bong Recreation Area off I-94 between Chicago and Milwaukee. But when I actually stopped there once, I discovered why it had this unusual name. I was already a total history nut by that point, but this chance discovery led to many more over the years, and not just in books, not just in America. Some of these discoveries were not so uplifting or nice, either. One time, off on a hike outside the sleepy little town in Germany where I lived for a while (Balingen), I came across a small plaque on a stone that I had passed by many times without noticing. Clearing the dirt off to read the inscription, I was horrified to learn that this beautiful, quiet little town with less than 30,000 inhabitants when I lived there, 40 years after the war, was a very busy place during all 12 years of the 3rd Reich. It was part of Unternehmen „Wüste“ (Operation Desert), the synthetic fuel project that used shale deposits to help run the German war machine. It was also part of the massive project to "resettle" the Slavic lands invaded by the Wehrmacht, from Czechoslovakia to Russia. Its third infamous activity was the building of a defensive wall along the nearby French border (a project obviated by the conquest of France in 1940.) All of these projects used slave labor, initially German Jews, intellectuals and other such undesirables, but after September of 1939 a steady stream of unfortunates from all over Nazi-controlled Europe were consumed by these various projects. The number of victims who died there is unknown to this day, an unusual phenomenon considering the German penchant for record-keeping. One historian I spoke with speculated that this might be because a) some of these projects were either top secret and/or of a "sensitive" nature and b) because it was one of the first areas that the newly reconstituted French Army rolled into in 1945, only to discover that in addition to all the other activities, there was also an internment camp for French soldiers captured in the 1940 invasion, and in the process of hastily converting it into an internment camp for local Germans who had worked especially enthusiastically with the various Nazi projects, much was destroyed, either out of rage or accidentally. When I asked my friends who had grown up and lived in the area their whole lives how it was possible that so much evil had been perpetrated in one small town, one of them, a guy I was particularly close to and a fellow history buff told me the following: "You know that history is beneath your feet wherever you go, right? Well, maybe this will put what happened in Balingen in some perspective for you. Even at its zenith, Greater Germany was still only about the size of Texas. Well, there weren't just the massive, notorious concentration camps, most of which were in the East. In Germany alone there were something like 10,000 smaller camps and forced labor operations, etc, some of which were quite small. If you know where to look, you can't go 10 miles on any direction without stumbling across some sort of installation or camp. In many ways, all of Germany was one giant concentration camp. That's why I hate it whenever I hear another German say we didn't know what the Nazis were doing--those bastards were everywhere in this country, in every town and village, in every field and forest." What a contrast to me pulling over to check out the Bong Recreation Area, eh?
@gordonipock93853 жыл бұрын
Regardless whether there is truth to anything you have written, the real truth is the war was forced upon Germany by Britain, and the Anglo-American alliance won the war by being far more ruthless than the Germans ever were, and thus killing far more Germans than they killed in defense of their own country. Getting back to flying, as fine a pilot and as heroic a warrior as Richard Bong was, and I have always known his name since I was a kid, the heroics of Bong and all other American aces is common-place stuff compared to the records of Germany's great aces. There were no breaks for them, no extended leaves from combat unless they were injured. Germany's fighter pilots went up time after time to fight until they were shot from the sky. They had numerous aces with over 100 kills, and one -- Eric Hartman -- was credited with shooting down 352 enemy planes. After surviving the war he endured 10 years inside Soviet prison camps. He was finally released and in 1956 became a pilot in the newly establish West German air force. You can also find incredible stories of heroism in the U-boat service, in the regular German army, especially on the Eastern Front. Again, all these German warriors fought until they died, never being sent back to a permanent desk job after a certain number of missions. The Americans, British and Russians won the war, but the German soldiers, sailors and airmen won the everlasting glory owned only by the greatest warriors of all time. The only thing comparable would be the valor and sacrifices made by soldiers of the Confederate armies during the US Civil War.
@gordonipock93853 жыл бұрын
Wikipedia entry for Eric Hartman. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erich_Hartmann
@gordonipock93853 жыл бұрын
Germany's top ten aces in WW II. www.warhistoryonline.com/world-war-ii/top-10-luftwaffe-aces-of-wwii.html
@haeuptlingaberja49273 жыл бұрын
@@gordonipock9385 What a hoot! I mean, you really didn't need to compare the incomparable heroism of the Nazis to your other heroes, those valiant Confederates, cuz you already let the fascist cat out of your bag with your sadly typical "Hitler didn't want war--Churchill forced him into it shtick." Of course he didn't want to annex Austria! Of course he had no choice in annexing the Sudetenland! (My wife is a Czech whose great-grandfather was one of the many German (although primarily Austrian) colonizers who made Czechs second-class citizens in their own country, so please don't even bother trying me with your ridiculous internet Nazi conspiracy theories...David Irving is not an historian, pal.) Of course Hitler had to invade Poland, the Low Countries, France, Scandinavia, the Balkans and the Baltic States? What choice did he have, after all. All that Drang nach Osten in Mein Kampf we should just disregard--how could he possibly not invade Russia and send in the Einsatzgruppen to exterminate the Untermenschen? Obviously, war-mongering Churchill (who wasn't even in power at the time) made him do all these things! So go ahead, get all moist when you recount the daring exploits of your manly Waffen SS heroes, "the greatest fighting force ever," as if they were videogame characters. But after you wipe yourself off afterwards, make sure you remember to side with the Nazi judges who condemned die Weisse Rose to death-- an heroic Vaterland can hardly have cowardly 5th columnists in its midst because that's what we do. We tolerate fascist sympathizers because we are weak liberal democracies. Still, it's just such predictable, childish Nazi nonsense you spout. Here's a project for you, my aspiring Untersturmbannführer: how about revisioning the holy work that Henry Rinnan did in Norway? Obviously, all the other Norwegians were effete losers--only Rinnan, like your other heroes, had the courage to do what needed to be done. And Churchill and Jew-loving FDR made him do it anyway, right? osloliteraryagency.no/book/keep-saying-their-names/
@garnetstewart34613 жыл бұрын
Had no idea how common forced labor camps were throughout Gemany. How could anyone see the exploitated laborers and not feel a tug of humanity?
@clickbaitcabaret82083 жыл бұрын
Bong is the literal embodiment of "Live fast die young."
@dougdobbs3 жыл бұрын
Except he was a clean living Midwest farm boy... :)
@6412mars3 жыл бұрын
I've known of Richard Bong since I was a kid.. that's a long time...Brave skilled man in a wicked bad plane ..my all time favorite P-38 Lightning
@harryvasseur39203 жыл бұрын
I personally witnessed one of the last flying P-38 lightning crash and killed the pilot due to unfamiliarity of the aircraft and engines. This was in 1975,, Lafayette, Louisiana. Beautifully decked out in camouflage by the “Confederate Airforce” in Harlingen, Tx. She was called “The Scatterbrain Kid”.
@ChaplainBobWalkerBTh3 жыл бұрын
4 fifty caliber machine guns and a 20mm cannon made the P38 a deadly machine. shot down admiral yamamoto too with p38's
@6412mars3 жыл бұрын
@@ChaplainBobWalkerBTh Concentrated in the nose...bad plane!
@hankidan3 жыл бұрын
As a Wisconsinite, an air force Vet, and a history enthusiast, I love seeing this kinda stuff
@raydunakin3 жыл бұрын
What an amazing story and such a sad ending. RIP
@nickmitsialis3 жыл бұрын
There was a recent book (I think it's called 'The Race of Aces') about the SoPac USAAF fighter pilots 'competing' to become the top ace. Dick Bong had a hard time of it. Due to his success he was promoted and on one mission a couple of his wingmen were shot down and killed. He begged to be allowed to fly alone, so he wouldn't have other men's lives in his hands. Also, later he was flying a mission with Tommy Lynch (a very popular and successful P38 pilot, whom the rest of the squadron JUST worshipped); Lynch was shot down and killed by flak so when Bong came back alone, he was VERY disliked by the rest of the squadron.
@doolittlegeorge3 жыл бұрын
Well... "fighter jocks" were about to be pushed beyond that for the Space Race. All these guys thought it was going to be that other guy who got whacked. Both US Army and US Navy Air arms and Aviators were the best on Earth on or about 1945 and every one of them "knew it"(oversexed, overpaid and over here!) Coming in for the Bronze medal at #3 was US Marine Corps Aviation. Interesting story about helicopter aviation and the US Coast Guard which is indeed "History worth" well, more than just remembering but in fact *"RECALLING."*
@QuantumRift3 жыл бұрын
Yea, useless, sad ending.
@tobyeperkins53013 жыл бұрын
One can only image what he might have done had he lived to 30. So much in such a short life.
@matthewschauenburg3 жыл бұрын
The pride of Wisconsin. There is a park named in his honor outside of LaCrosse. Sadly the signs for the park are constantly being stolen as the park is named Bong Recreation Area.
@LJHibt7103 жыл бұрын
Very true I've never been the recreation area but driven past it multiple times on the interstate, I wonder if a plaque or something stating who Maj. Bong was and what he did might evoke a little more respect by the would be vandals just looking for a souvenir for the silly drug reference. Sad though.
@Redmenace963 жыл бұрын
I lived in that area, when in high school. There was always talk about and attempts at grabbing the sign, "Bong Recreation Area". I don't see it as disrespectful to the hero Ira Bong. Just dopey kids.
@steadyashegoes77633 жыл бұрын
Where is it near La Crosse? I can only find one near Kenosha.
@matthewschauenburg3 жыл бұрын
@@steadyashegoes7763 You are correct, it is south of MKE. Somehow I forgot about that over the years.
@matthewschauenburg3 жыл бұрын
@@LJHibt710 There is a large memorial plaque which carries his story.
@fortawesome19743 жыл бұрын
I'm an Infantry Veteran but when I heard you state all his awards I must admit I teared up!! The man was the most modest of Legends!! May he RIP, what an absolute hero!!
@deaconblue9493 жыл бұрын
Thank you for honoring Major Richard Ira Bong on your channel. A true WWII war hero.
@chrisfreemesser57073 жыл бұрын
I knew of Major Bong but never heard the story of him picking off that alligator with a 20mm round. No wonder he needed to fly a fighter with two engines...needed the extra horsepower to carry those huge brass balls of his :)
@peddler9313 жыл бұрын
If his crew chief did not paint an alligator on the cockpit rail, I would be very disappointed.
@Topknot603 жыл бұрын
No alligators in New Guinea, only crocs. BIG crocs.
@GeorgeSemel3 жыл бұрын
@@Topknot60 Yeah the Salt Water ones. A full-grown one will go over one ton in weight.
@Phryxil3 жыл бұрын
He had practice from bagging all those womp rats in his T-16 back home.
@straybullitt3 жыл бұрын
I don't recall ever hearing the crocodile story either. The History Guy digs deep!
@ekbrook13 жыл бұрын
Race of Aces is an Excellent book and highlights the numerous challenges the pilots in the SW Pacific theater faced. Great profiles of Bong, Tommy Lynch, Neal Kirby, Tommy McGuire & Charles MacDonald. I highly recommend it.
@harryvasseur39203 жыл бұрын
I read “Ace of Aces”, Wonderful read, great hero
@garyv24983 жыл бұрын
Dick Bong deserves to be remembered for more than a chuckle when you see a sign on the highway in NW Wisconsin.
@Jakal-pw8yq3 жыл бұрын
Hats off to Major Bong. I didn't realize he was so young and would never live to raise a family and have grandkids. Or to enjoy the freedom that he so bravely contributed to. RIP 🙏♥
@MagniKhan3 жыл бұрын
Finally, this one has been over due. Thank you for this one.
@otpyrcralphpierre17423 жыл бұрын
Freedom is NOT Free. Sometimes it costs Everything.
@cornbreadfedkirkpatrick96473 жыл бұрын
Thank you.
@jamesburns22323 жыл бұрын
All gave Some. Some gave All.
@cornbreadfedkirkpatrick96473 жыл бұрын
@@jamesburns2232 Yes, RIP
@williampaz20923 жыл бұрын
“It costs millions to win a war. To lose one takes everything you’ve got.” The sign over the main gate of US Naval Base in San Diego, Ca in 1942.
@theironlukeve55443 жыл бұрын
9:45 I really hope Dick Bong painted a silhouette of that crocodile on his P-38
@baronoflivonia.35123 жыл бұрын
When i was a kid guys like Bong, Boyington, Chenault and countless others were taught in school starting in about 4th grade. too bad this "History" is no longer taught as a legit part of U.S. and American History in general. Thanks History Guy for reminding us of the sacrifice's of theses Heroes.
@jliller3 жыл бұрын
It's not a matter of "legitimacy." Given the amount of material that a year of grade school or even a college course needs to cover there is no time to cover fighter aces. Outside of JROTC or ROTC there are simply more important matters to cover. I say that as someone who went through four years of AFJROTC and has been interested in military aviation history since I was a kid.
@johnspencer39943 жыл бұрын
@@jliller "simply more important matters to cover." The most Clueless post I've read, ever. How long have you been a member the teacher's union? Nevermind, don't care. Please feel free to diaf.
@RedtideFla3 жыл бұрын
Amen. Remember duck and cover drilling, jumping under the desk? I blame the 60s era for the downfall of America. Burning the flag, spitting on the troops, on and on. Shortly after you weren't allowed to discipline your children. Then came welfare. What a mess.
@warrenmays23003 жыл бұрын
We studied him, and all the rest, in my 5th Grade history class in 1967 taking one term on the European front and the next on the Pacific. More time spent on heroes like him and less on political figures and celebrities would do us all well at any age.
@jliller3 жыл бұрын
@@warrenmays2300 What elementary school did you attend where an entire year was spent covering World War II??? I've never attended a history class, public grade school or college undergraduate, that covered "celebrities" (assuming by that you mean modern professional entertainers like actors and musicians). If anything, history classes too often fail to cover modern history in anything but an exceptionally brief manner. Post-WW2 history is at the end of a semester and the class is inevitably running behind schedule. Political figures are important because a different president than FDR potentially makes different decisions that results in Richard Bong never flying P-38s in the South Pacific and therefore never becomes a famous ace.
@pegtooth20063 жыл бұрын
What a glorious biography. Absolutely astounding. The crocodile part was awesomeness. Thank you for this.
@gus4733 жыл бұрын
My dad, who grew up on Minnesota's Iron Range, considered Richard Bong a real hero, so thanks for this episode! 😎✌🏼
@infeedel7706 Жыл бұрын
Expat Pom living in Australia remembers reading of Dick Bong in Wings magazine of the 1970s, his story stuck in my mind. Thank you for taking the time to remind people of this marvelous pilot.
@larrypesek88183 жыл бұрын
The American Spirit at it's finest. God Bless all those who sacrifice so much.
@timwaycaster75383 жыл бұрын
Another great story you may consider covering is that of “Butch” O’Hare, whom Chicago’s airport is named after. I read his story to my extended family when we got together on Memorial Day and was surprised when they all said they had never heard of him before
@williammiller76623 жыл бұрын
Butch O'Hare has an amazing story of being the son of a thug, in trouble with the law, rising to a true hero.
@simongleaden28643 жыл бұрын
Tim, thanks for your informative comment. Without really thinking about it I'd always assumed that the person after whom O'Hare airport was named was some politician or other, like LaGuardia in New York or Lester B Pearson Airport in Toronto.
@ricksunderland14213 жыл бұрын
It is a very interesting and easily researched story. Agreed.
I live in Maple wi, 5 miles east of poplar where Bong was from. One of the planes used to be behind the bank on a stand but now is in superior, 25miles west of me. He is our local legend Also a bridge that spans between Superior WI and Duluth MN is named after him
@caturdaynite72173 жыл бұрын
Wisconsinites loved him so much we named a recreation area after him in Racine county. Never realized he shot down 40 planes, that we know of. Amazing. And all by the age of 24.
@mr.fridggyyy58263 жыл бұрын
@@caturdaynite7217 my father was a teenager in the 70s, and if you were in the local Cafe In the morning it wasn't uncommon to hear stories from the old timers about bong.
@natlkjh86773 жыл бұрын
that Plane Stand was on the edge of the old elementary schools playground I could clime into it at one point. Do they still have the old Poplar Hardware there?
@thezfunk3 жыл бұрын
@@caturdaynite7217 I believe that was supposed to be an airport but was deemed too close to Mitchell and O'Hare.
@douglascountyhistoricalsoc51003 жыл бұрын
@@natlkjh8677 Poplar Hardware is still there. Not sure if the current store is new or was remodeled for what you remember. It is on the main street about a block or so from the elementary school.
@LeeryMuscrat3 жыл бұрын
With a name like that he was destined for nothing but greatness
@rosameryrojas-delcerro1059 Жыл бұрын
Or to get beat up at school.
@beerguy13203 жыл бұрын
As a Wisconsinite born and raised, love and appreciate this episode. Thank you so much. Truly exceptional individual. His contributions to our country and those he served with can’t be overstated!
@neils55393 жыл бұрын
The museum about him and the local war effort in Superior, WI is excellent! Don't miss it if you're in the area. My wife is not a war buff, but she was just mezzmerised with the place. Great displays about all sorts of WWII topics.
@kaatwangsnoisebunker7753 жыл бұрын
We always stopped in Poplar to see his plane when Going to Duluth as a kid. The cockpit was painted over. My dad always said they did that because of military secrets. I have not seen his plane since it moved. We have driven the bridge named after him many times.
@Angryspec3 жыл бұрын
They probably do that because there is nothing in there to see.. They would remove all the useful parts before they send a plane to be used for something like that. I used to work on planes in the Air Force. We would never let good parts go to waste.
@mr.fridggyyy58263 жыл бұрын
The plane is in the museum in superior by the perkins
@crispycritterz3 жыл бұрын
When the enemy puts a price on your head and names you specifically, you know greatness.
@MonkeyFreeZone3 жыл бұрын
Don't miss the History Guy's episode on Virginia Hall - the Nazis wanted her out of the way in a most desperate fashion.
@derbklots61713 жыл бұрын
That's an amazing part of WW11 that I've never heard and all he accomplished by the age of 24 . Thank you for that glimpse into a young hero's short but impactful dedication and drive that would fill a life time
@mbisson58163 жыл бұрын
Ironically he may have survived the war if they'd kept him flying combat missions.
@ricksunderland14213 жыл бұрын
It was the policy in the Western Allies to pull a pilot from combat after 40 confirmed victories. RAF ace Air Vice Marshal "Johnnie" Johnson springs to mind. For this reason it was common practice for top pilots to give away kills or encourage their crew chief to "forget" to put film in the gun cameras etc. to remain in combat. MAJ Gregory "Pappy" Boyington claimed (after the war) he'd shot down 63, including his Flying Tigers kills. But this is why US/RAF pilots had such lower totals compared with their opponents. The Germans had several pilots in triple digits including MAJ Erich Hartmann at 352 (!) despite a more strenuous verification process. They fought until they died, flying in some cases 5 sorties per day. The Japanese top ace, LTjg. Nishizawa had between 80 and 102 depending on whose figures you believe.
@petersack50743 жыл бұрын
probly.....he KNEW HIS SKILLS, and eyesight, with hand/eye/brain totally in sync and coordinated. An unknown variable, is a 'test' plane. He KNEW THAT two-winged plane, he grew up with, and KNEW IT, INSIDE OUT.....
@matthewbratton38253 жыл бұрын
He died testing the P-80 Shooting Star shortly after the war ended sadly.
@llnam123 жыл бұрын
@@petersack5074 wtf flying combat mission is too risky but but testing a new jet isnt? morons man
@linmal22423 жыл бұрын
@@llnam12 Well he knew his Lightening but he didn't know that jet, as well it being 'experimental' its , maintenance and servicibility was unknown to him. I bet he had his own, dedicated ground crew fixing his P38 !
@kendavis80463 жыл бұрын
I knew this story, but it has been a long time since I have thought about it. It is good to be reminded of folks like this.
@cornbreadfedkirkpatrick96473 жыл бұрын
I wasn't aware of this awesome hero, just others. was my dad well to me he was.
@dr.ofdubiouswisdom41893 жыл бұрын
Wow! What a legacy. Everytime I hear these tales of 'The Greatest Generation' I am humbled by their example - and beaming with pride.
@joesmith3501 Жыл бұрын
I’ve known about Dick Bong since I was 12 hrs old and read all I could about him. My favorite tv show of course was Baa Baa Black Sheep. Watched every episode. I do remember one episode where they paid homage to Bong and the P-38. I still loved the corsair more of course. I never knew he was only 24 when he died. Just think, he could have easily been a Yeager or Glenn. You have surpassed these great men in importance by being one to keep their memories and achievements alive. Please keep it up. 24 years old. I had no clue. Never thought about that. Salute to you and all of the men and women that came before us.
@banjoist1233 жыл бұрын
My dad enlisted in the Army Air corp in 43. They didn't want to take him because he had a wife and child and was "too old" (28). He flew the beautiful B-25 Mitchell. The guys in his squadron called him "Pops". :)
@lewisskunt3073 жыл бұрын
Ikluoyuuuiu
@joeburns42943 жыл бұрын
My dad was in B-25’s also, 14th AAF, CBI WWII
@Dirtzoo3 жыл бұрын
Damn they call me pops and I was only 21
@irongeneral78613 жыл бұрын
Huckebein?
@richardjohnson42383 жыл бұрын
When I was a kid, my hero's weren't ball players, or actors. They were fighter pilots. Richard Bong was the biggest hero of them all. Actually, they still are.
@sharonkaczorowski8690 Жыл бұрын
My father was a TBM pilot…he was underage and my grandfather signed for him…my grandmother was furious. He was asked to join the Blue Nigel’s after the war but my mother was done with fearing fir his life. I always found it weird, as he crop dusted, flew disaster relief, etc, but hey, that was their issue. Eventually he became a meteorologist at a time when you could still apprentice. Eventually he became a research scientist fir the military…the only one without a PhD. I miss him so much…he raised me to believe I could do anything a man could do…wanted to teach me to fly but Mom vetoed. My next life!
@chuckvt51963 жыл бұрын
Having a passion for military aviation history, I knew well about Dick Bong, as well as numerous other aces from WW1 and WWII. Thanks for featuring him on this great video. We must never forget the brave eagles that fought in the skies to preserve our freedoms.
@tomandalbert3 жыл бұрын
This has to be my favorite episode of the History Guy: I have tears streaming down my cheeks. Richard Bong State Recreation Area is near by and a favorite place. Richard I. Bong Veterans Historical Center is worth the visit.
@retiredyeti55552 жыл бұрын
I remember when they bought out all the famers, using eminent domain as needed, to build Bong Airbase. But then it was never completed, and was abandoned for years, before the state turned it into a recreation area. One of my farming greatuncles was displaced by that Air Force fiasco. Dick Bong deserved more of a memorial than an unfinished airbase bearing his name.
@raymondwiggins3542 жыл бұрын
@@retiredyeti5555 I like to think Bong would have been honored to have a natural area named for him. He fought for peace, and the Bong Recreation Area is peaceful.
@retiredyeti55552 жыл бұрын
@@raymondwiggins354 - I agree.
@MrDanJB853 жыл бұрын
The statistic about the contribution of aces is facinating; Mr. Churchill's words 'Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few' are apt to describe the contribution of fighter pilots across that war.
@ingibingi20003 жыл бұрын
Can we just appreciate this guys name
@HerrZenki3 жыл бұрын
He belongs in a hall of awesome names along the likes of Harry Baals
@williamhervey64093 жыл бұрын
....and Dick Trickle
@nicholasstilley23703 жыл бұрын
I was just about to say the same thing, its like Speed Weed from law and order lol
@mikerawls96193 жыл бұрын
Don't worry.
@jesseestrada89143 жыл бұрын
Not above low hanging fruit.
@keithweiss78993 жыл бұрын
Wow! That’s incredible! As I recall the Red Baron also got in very close before he shot. He wasn’t a great flyer, but a great marksman with excellent eyesight. Bong apparently wasn’t a great shot, but a great pilot. Getting in close was apparently the key to success in pre-rocket days.
@mpbMKE3 жыл бұрын
Wisconsin legend! When you drive to Milwaukee from Chicago you will inevitably encounter the Bong Recreational Area, and people are always floored to find out that the guy with, objectively, the funniest name in American military history is also a bona fide national hero.
@steveshoemaker63473 жыл бұрын
He truly was a great pilot and man and hero....We miss him.....Thanks
@roberthagberg54823 жыл бұрын
They used to have Dick Bongs P-38 at the school in Poplar, Wisconsin. They don't have it there anymore, but they named Superior, WI airport in honor of Richard Ira Bong.
@easygoing24793 жыл бұрын
I was going to make that comment as well. I remember from childhood our family going from northern Wisconsin up to Duluth, and there it was. I I have missed seeing it there ever since they moved it... I think it's in a Museum in Superior now, displayed indoors with a lot of WWII memorabilia. Haven't gone to see it there yet.
@davidhanson88803 жыл бұрын
@@easygoing2479 And of course there is the Bong bridge connecting Duluth, MN to Superior, WI over the St. Louis River.
@rudolfyakich66533 жыл бұрын
I remember the Bong memorial at the Bois Brulee river bridge on US Hwy 2 east of Superior, Wi . It was a P-38 in a slip position. This was in 1975.
@roberthagberg54823 жыл бұрын
@@easygoing2479 My summer vacations while growing up were in Bayfield, WI. My parents grew up there. I grew up in NJ but left there 28 years ago n moved to Alabama. At least I could buy a farm in AL which I couldn't buy in either NJ or WI. Now that I'm retired maybe next summer I might just drive up there n see the sights n visit that museum in Superior.
@WalshPhoto3 жыл бұрын
The plane is restored and at the museum in Superior Wisconsin
@marhar23 жыл бұрын
When I was a kid I lived for a while on Misawa Air Base in Japan. Every week we went to watch movies at the Richard Bong Theater. All we knew about him at the time is that he flew under the Golden Gate and got in trouble for it. Movies were a quarter, with popcorn and a drink another quarter.
@HCGJrB2 жыл бұрын
My grandfather was a pilot in the CBI theater flying supply over the hump. In a DC-3. I would love to learn more about it. History that deserves to be remembered.
@sterlingduck54023 жыл бұрын
The Richard I. Bong Veterans Historical Center in Superior, WI is a great museum. Truly does both Major Bong, and Veteran's, justice. The P38 on display is beautiful. The surrounding details of the display are great. With displays on not just Mr. Bong or WW2 alone. The museum is truly a wonderful Veteran's Memorial in it's own right.
@stekarknugen92583 жыл бұрын
Signing up as a test pilot was extremely dangerous that day and age, jets were still so new, tons of pilots crashed and died in badly designed planes. The man must've had an appetite for extreme danger like some do.
@Justanotherconsumer3 жыл бұрын
The “First Man” movie addresses the emotional toll on the test pilot families. Wasn’t quite a suicide mission, but…
@porthose20023 жыл бұрын
Maybe my most favorite History Guy episode yet! What an unbelievable story and life.
@maryjohnston42963 жыл бұрын
My great uncle Jimmy’s was an ace . He joined the RAF before the US entered WWII. He flew over Africa . He did not talk much about his combat. The history about WWII especially is really interesting to me- it helps me to appreciate the sacrifice of our military through the generations in keeping America free .
@p47thunderbolt682 жыл бұрын
Brave man , sad story . So much life ahead for the young married couple . True definition of giving life for country . Those early P 38's were "widow makers " I read a story were Mr. Bong himself lost control of his Lighting and luckily he was able to recover the plane as it was in an uncontrollable dive . A lot of P 38 pilots lost their life when that plane did that . Later versions were modified to get rid of that and other "bugs" the Lighting had . Good thing Charles Lindbergh took an intrest in making it better .
@TheNutriarat2 жыл бұрын
Correct. From "Aviation History": "The P-38 suffered from two different problems, tail flutter and compressibility. Compressibility could tear the tail off the P-38 and this phenomenon was common to all high-speed fighters. Both P-47 Thunderbolts and P-51 Mustangs lost tails during high-speed dives. Compressibility caused buffeting on the P-38, not flutter."
@KF4IXM_Mike3 жыл бұрын
Absolutely great story told by one of the greatest historians! Thank you!
@texasnannyjoe20493 жыл бұрын
"A light that burns twice as bright burns half as long." 24 is too young to die.
@lelandcarlson166811 ай бұрын
It's absolutely amazing how much this young man accomplished in so short a span of time. Thank you Mr. Bong for your service and sacrifice for your country, and thank you History Guy for memorializing the story of Dick Bong.
@dr.frankenphoon62543 жыл бұрын
WoW! Only 25 years old and achieved all those decorations. He was truly the Audie Murphy of the sky! Thanks for another great history lesson.
@Olafpurple3 жыл бұрын
Thank you for sharing this. Bong is my great uncle and I am always keen to learn more about his legacy.
@BRYANTGRAYSON2 жыл бұрын
Then we might be related I’d like to know who you are
@ben-jam-in69413 жыл бұрын
A real hero! I’m sick of hearing how lesser humans who do things like stand in front of a camera are heroes. That’s a hero.
@heatherrenner8943 жыл бұрын
My father was a 31st Fighter Group Army Air Corps pilot and served in England and North Africa (trained on P-40 and P-39s, but then Spitfires in England and North Africa. The group changed to P-51s during the Italian invasion). By then, dad had been sent to Fort Meyers, Florida, to train new pilots. At some point, Major Bong showed up to do a little gunnery demonstration. His four 50cals were loaded up with one round each. A small plane was sent aloft over the airfield towing a new target sock. Major Bong approached the target at a very difficult angle and fired. The planes landed and the target sock was then examined - four holes. That's what you call, with apologies to Alvin York, 'some serious shootin' '.
@craigmiller88333 жыл бұрын
I have committed on your channel before. But sometimes one must speak up. When I was 24 …. I was still acting like a child. I had heard a Little of Bong but my god. What a Hero. Giving away credit, coming back from such of what had to be hard times. Then still giving up his life doing incredible work. Thank you for your time and my continuing education when I watch and listen to you.
@hyfy-tr2jy3 жыл бұрын
Died at 24....show me one image of Bong during wartime where he looks ANYTHING like a 24 year old of today. 20-somethings were truly men back then...not just in their actions but in their looks, today they just look like high schoolers
@davidsigalow73493 жыл бұрын
It's easy to forget how young our WWII soldiers were. Joining or being inducted into the service and then going straight to combat when you're 18 makes you grow up quickly. I saw an interview once with a B-17 navigator who, at 32, was called "Pops" by the rest of the crew, the oldest of which as 23.
@philliparthur86723 жыл бұрын
True and they grew up in during the great depression only to go off to war or work in factories. They had a hard life and deserve to be called the greatest generation.
@cdjhyoung3 жыл бұрын
@@davidsigalow7349 Same story here: my father was 26 when he arrived in England as a pilot in '44. He was the oldest man in his squadron and almost five years older than his commanding officer.
@davidsigalow73493 жыл бұрын
@Martin I've been watching the Time Ghost channel's series on both The Great War and World War Ii in Real Time (which I highly recommend). It's very hard for 21st Century people to understand the mentality of the millions of young men who fought so bravely during the Great War, only to be slaughtered, repeatedly, in futile battles that went on for weeks and months. I guess that's why you form armies of young men - they are full of bravado and don't believe they could die. PS: let me know if you want a link to the Time Ghost series.
@davidsigalow73493 жыл бұрын
@@cdjhyoung Amazing. Check out the KZfaq videos about Audie Murphy. I think he enlisted at 17 but was also kinda short. When he won his medals, he still looked like a 15-year old kid.
@scottdodge69793 жыл бұрын
Stories like this, while they make me proud of my fellow countrymen also come with a tinge of sadness for how far we have fallen. The skill and more aptly, the guts of men like this are inspiring to a person like myself who wallowed in his early 20s. Stuff like this makes me realize whatever I have to do, it ain't that hard/bad and to just do it.
@BrilliantDesignOnline2 жыл бұрын
Definitely History that deserves to be remembered, and more importantly I had NEVER heard of this amazing pilot before this. The P-38 Lightning was a simply incredible aircraft, like the P-51, true heroes. I loved the General telling him that if he didn't fly down Market Street, he would not want him in his air force, but not to do it again..naughty, naughty; and go help the lady whose laundry you knocked down. Brilliant.
@NVArt0013 жыл бұрын
I did a report on Dick Bong when I was in middle school and it's nice to see a History Guy episode about him. He does deserve to be remembered!
@bonnienandino69423 жыл бұрын
It brought tears to my eyes....his poor wife!
@michealdean37503 жыл бұрын
@Martin So many of us were. So many at that age are still only testosterone driven twits.
@nobodyspecial92623 жыл бұрын
If you ever find yourself in the area of Superior, Wisconsin stop by the Bong Museum, well worth the stop. We found it by accident in 2017 and were very surprised on how the museum spans multiple military eras.
@robertf34793 жыл бұрын
There was a period during the New Guinea campaign when Bong (Ace #1) teamed up unofficially with Tommy McGuire (Ace #2) while flying out of Nichols Field (I think.) My Dad was ground echelon (armorer and fuel) and was one of those who serviced the planes of both men. He had photos of both planes in his album and him with Bong. I got the feeling he liked both Bong and McGuire. The Smithsonian has one of the planes Bong flew as a test pilot, a modified P-38. Something went badly wrong during one flight but both he and the plane survived.
@ghorn31362 жыл бұрын
Dick Bong was certainly one of the finest and most talented of fighter pilots and killers of enemy aircraft… But simply because one has the gifts and talents of combat…does not make one a great “test” pilot… a job with considerably different skill set requirements. We may have endangered a great man and hero …thinking we were utilizing talents he did not possess ….and requiring skills and training he had not been provided. It is US (thru our agencies) who are to blame for his untimely death. Thank you, Richard Bong! May you Fly West with our Greatest Gratitude.
@navret17073 жыл бұрын
“Oh, I have slipped the surely bonds of earth and danced on laughter’s silvered wings. First line of “High Flight”
@samiam6193 жыл бұрын
I had a poster from the A.F. with that poem as a kid. Wish I had a copy now. “Upward I climbed and did a hundred things you have not dreamed of.”
@wardaddyindustries43483 жыл бұрын
Killing a crocodile has to be the most impressive feat. Great video!
@goldgeologist53203 жыл бұрын
I hope he painted that dead croc on his plane!
@jacquesblaque77283 жыл бұрын
Blowing it up with 20 mm, no less, with its tender morsels to feed the other crocs.
@localcrew3 жыл бұрын
I killed a crocodile once. No wait - it was a salamander. Still - pretty badass, amirite?
@davidsigalow73493 жыл бұрын
Lt. Bong - Crocodile Hunter!
@olly20273 жыл бұрын
How do you kill it and cook it?
@michaelshingleton16283 жыл бұрын
I have not heard of mr Bong till now. A very talented individual and a young adult when the sad end came. Your service in making us aware of important history hopefully will be remembered and honored. Thanks
@MinneapolisRaven3 жыл бұрын
There was a small Air Force base built outside my home town of Kenosha Wisconsin named after Richard Bong. It was only active for a couple years in the late 1950s. They then turned it into a campsite and named it "Richard Bong State Recreation Area" -- consequently the sign for it on nearby I-94 is the most stolen sign in Wisconsin.
@nothingtodo58 Жыл бұрын
I read somewhere that the dogfighting principles taught at the Top Gun academy are, in part, based upon techniques used by Bong.
@bowlica13 жыл бұрын
Absolutely incredible. The astonishing feats of this man are very much highlighted by your enthusiasm. Thank you.
@walttrotter5353 жыл бұрын
Thanks for covering Bong. I love these WW2 stories. My father was a Marine Corpsman in the Pacific war, never talked about it.
@danleaf8954 Жыл бұрын
A wonderful tribute to the Ace of Aces.
@gregorysquires26853 жыл бұрын
Why have I heard and read about Maj. “Pappy” Boyington but never Maj. Bong??!! Fantastic story! Thank you!!
@765kvline3 жыл бұрын
My curiosity was always peaked, when I saw the second coming headlines of the New York Times of the "First Atomic Bomb Dropped On Japan," and below was a smaller first page headline, "Major Bong Killed in Jet Crash." I wondered who this "Major Bong" was and now I know the rest of the story. Good commentary.