Wisconsin’s Ace of Aces Richard Bong | Madison News

As America celebrates its 250th anniversary, we honor Wisconsin’s own aviation legend: Richard Bong, America’s “Ace of Aces.” Born in Superior in 1920, he became a flying cadet by 1941 and racked up 40 confirmed aerial kills in over 200 missions across the Pacific, flying the P-38 Lightning. Awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroism, he even volunteered for combat missions during administrative assignments. Tragically, he died at 24 in 1945 while test-piloting a jet that crashed due to a fuel pump failure. Though a base in his honor was never built, his legacy lives on in the Richard Bong State Recreation Area—a fitting tribute to a skyborne hero whose life was as brief as it was brilliant. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/c942b7626b02b6d0