A piece of a World War II fighter plane that crashed 80 years ago and belonged to the country’s top ace, Maj. Richard Bong, has been found and returned to his home state of Wisconsin.
Maj. Richard Bong’s Legacy
Maj. Bong, originally from Poplar, Wisconsin, was a notable figure in World War II, with 40 confirmed combat victories in the air. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for his service.
The P-38 Lockheed Lighting plane, named after his future wife, Marjorie “Marge” Vattendahl, was used for dozens of missions before it crashed in March 1944. Another pilot was flying the plane when it was forced to bail out, sending it crashing into the rainforest.
Recovery Efforts
The Richard I. Bong Veterans Historical Center worked with the organization Pacific Wrecks to find what was left of the plane scattered on a remote hill. The Wisconsin Air National Guard helped fly the recovered wingtip to the US, where it is now part of the collection at the Richard I. Bong Veterans Historical Center in Superior, Wisconsin.
Original reporting: KRDO (Colorado Springs metro) — read the source article.
