Thank you for covering this American Hero. What Bong and his squadron did in the pacific affected the entire war, knocking out Japan's chief strategist. Brings back the memories of reading his exploits over two decades ago.
doubt this will work.. but. 🤡I've played WT on and off for years now. Be pretty cool if you were to do a "squad with subs" series or 3rd channel (or possibly an unsub crew channel?). Either way, thank you for making history fun again for me!
@@DamienDrake2940 Seriously, what idiot in the chain of command made that decision? Were they just completely ignorant to the fact that testing planes was extremely dangerous, especially Jet Aircraft in the fucking 1940s? Total egghead move.
Japanese pilot: Hey, is that him? Who do you think killed him? Marseille, was that you? Marseille: Nein, we fought on opposite sides of the planet. Bong: Hey, what's up? Japanese pilot: How'd you end up here? What mighty pilot slayed the great Richard Bong? Bong: Actually, my engine blew up.
Nick, that was a great video. Absolutely worth all your efforts to make. As always much appreciated. P.s. those damned onion cutting ninjas are everywhere 😉, here included.
HE WAS 24 YEARS OLD WHEN "THAT" HAPPENED?? So let me get this straight... this boss of a main character was a Major at 24 years old, got 40 confirmed kills, and his last act of heroism was saving civilians by guiding his aircraft away from the population... it is absolutely warranted for any man to shed a tear for this absolute Herculean of a man.
Lockheed Skunkworks honestly deserves an entire video of its own. Basically all batshit insane, seemingly impossible military aviation projects had these guys involved, and that’s just the shit we know about.
Skunkworks what happens when the US says F it grab all the mad scientists and engineers from around the US and put them in a compound together to make weird tech.
P-38 was before the formal creation of the Skunkworks but it was basically a Skunkworks plane, then the P-80, U-2, A-12/YF-12/SR-71, F-117, F-22, F-35, and plenty more things we know very little or absolutely nothing about. Yeah, it's worth a video, though admittedly it's more badass engineering than badass soldiers/sailors/airmen/marines.
I'm sitting here in my basement, eating some delicious curry and watching this video when I think to myself, "huh, I think one of the many models my dad has is a P-38 Lightning", look over, and not only is one of them a Lightning, but it's got Marge's markings. I've never heard of this guy until now but have had a model of his plane sitting next to me since I was a kid.
@emanekaf145 when I was going through Highschool, my Dad got into the Revell line of 1/48 scale fighter planes of WWII, and a few WWI biplanes. He built the very same kit you did, and my reaction to your story is that I felt exactly like you did, finally seeing a story about THAT PARTICULAR AIRCRAFT! And by the way, wasn't the real Marge pretty?
All the aces have the models. Old crow is always a given on early model P-51's. The P-47's usually have the polish guy who was the original A-10 pilot but in ww2 in his P-47.
From "Long Form" to "Documentary"!? Nic, your work ethic is next level. We appreciate- even if we can't understand how much more energy & effort producing a full feature length documentary entails.
My old PLT SGT once told me, when you become a team leader your accomplishments shouldn't matter. If you brag about what you did after becoming a leader you are about yourself. All that matters at this point is how far your soldiers go. That will show how good of a leader you are.
It sort of always has been. Those with humility and modesty are much less likely to catch the public eye due to that humility and modesty. It's always been that way and it probably always will be that way.
@@jlmfoy365 Honor* :D That said, honor is such a tricky term because it pretty much means "Whatever this society believes to be virtuous behavior at this time." That's why its fallen out of favor. Since virtuous traits constantly change and shift and don't translate between societies very well, as society becomes more globalized, the term becomes less and less useful. As a term becomes less useful, it becomes less fashionable to use. That isn't really an unfortunate thing, it just... is. We still have words and phrases to describe these concepts. That said, there is a more solid definition for honor, but its about how to act as a combatant or in regard to debts.
I was stationed at Langley AFB from 00’-04’ and a few months after 9/11, a Navy pilot from Norfolk buzzed the base - close enough that the sonic boom shattered some windows. Given Langley is the headquarters of Air Combat Command, I don’t know what happened to him, but I’d bet he wasn’t afforded the same grace as Dick Bong…
So... His actual arial victory count is more like... 50+ because he gave so many away. Dude's up there playing ACE Combat... A Major at 24 and saved lives at the expense of his own. What a fucking legend.
Don’t forget the Aligator too so it’s like 51-61+ Ks but I guess the alligator being a ground/lake target doesn’t count or same with the plane about to take off with generals so more like 50+-60+ shoot downs
My Grandfather worked with Bong and flew in his P-38 back in 1943. My grandfather was infantry in the 41st infantry on New Guinea training and volunteered to be a B-25 nose gunner. He was interested in mechanics (became an auto mechanic after the war) and was geeking out over the P-38s turbo-supercharger and Bong noticed him. After a few days of talking Bong offered to take my grandfather up in his P-38. Look to the video to see the girlfriend sitting behind the main seat... she was sitting on the radio. Hard to transport someone with that there. So Bong and granddad ripped the radio out and my grandfather sat where it was. 3 feet lower. So imagine this, you have a 6' man sitting in a hole, knees near his ears and his ankles up on Bong's shoulders in a P-38. Uncomfortable to say the least. Granddad said that Bong gunned it and left the ground halfway down the airstrip, put balls to the wall and at the end of the runway went vertical to 10,000 ft. (neither had oxygen so he didn't go much higher). Later in the war my granddad pulled the aluminum skin off a downed zero and made a matchbox cover out of it and inscribed it to Bong in remembrance of the flight. He found out Bong died a few months later.
General Kenney was a piece of work himself. The 5th Air Force called themselves "Kenney's Kids" and they all loved him. He couldn't get drop tanks from America because they were all going to Europe so he came up with a simple design and had Australian auto workers pound them out of sheet metal. He also was the guy who put 15 fifty caliber machine guns in the nose of B25's for strafing. He also put parachutes on bombs for very low level attacks.
Excellent vid! My grandfather served with Bong and I remember him speaking highly of the man during the rare times he would talk about his service in WWII. Thank you.
You are a talented story teller. I have heard this story before but was not nearly as well entertained. It was certainly not too long for me. I shall be looking for more of your work. Thank you.
If you take just one small step into a hypothetical future. This man had a higher than most likelihood of being involved in the space program. Maybe not an astronaut. But as a man teaching and testing the men who were.
This man has steadily become my favorite source of old military history, he disrespects while also respects those of the past from both sides all at once. Could not ask for a better man to watch about this stuff. Amazing job man
I was watching TV and thought, wow I want to get my quack bang on. I wonder if he posted today. I was greeted with 30 minutes of quack and 30 minutes of bang.
You’ll love the new episode of the “unsubscribe podcast” that will come out tomorrow on TH-cam. The Fat Electrician and his friends have two WW2 veterans as guests. It’s great
This is my favorite channel... And I'm a girl. Lol... From a military family. I send these videos to all of them that are still living. PS. The Unsubscribe Podcast is Dope AF. The episode with Grampa Gamer was... I'm a girl, searching for a proper adjective that conveys the proper masculine justice... * BEEP - FAIL... It was adorable watching them totally Fan-Boy over Grampa Gamer. And Grampa Gamer is quite the humble legend himself.
Growing up in south eastern Wisconsin in the 50s and early 60s I was very familiar with what at the time was called Bong Air Force Base. For some reason a couple of nights ago, I was sitting here reminiscing, and my mind came across Bong. I reminded myself that I wanted to know more about Bong Air Force Base ( now Bong recreational area). I had family that lived in Kansasville and can remember sitting around a table talking about all the work out at the Air Force Base. As the Boy Scout, we camped there often. Very cool as a young man walking along those massive runways and taxiways. Now, they’re all grown over. Thank you so much for your work on this.
I am a volunteer at the Bong museum in superior Wisconsin and I got to experience and meet the Bong family the earlier this year. I just want to say it’s great that one of my favorite TH-camrs makes a story about a small pilot from Poplar, Wisconsin
His son is also a pilot - a fighter who is my dads best friend. We used to go to his lake house as a kid out in Wisconsin, he’s was a good man. He also has a bridge/museum named after him in Superior, WI. Great story and amazing man.
About half way thru the video it dawned on me that we had seen no "elder" pictures of Mr. Bong. So I was like man, he's not gonna make it home is he? I was surprised when he did make it home but wasn't surprised when he died shortly thereafter, such a tragedy.
@@BryanRoaming They assumed the plot armor was thick enough. But the engineers that made the P80 forgot to account for the shear weight of Bong's balls
I'm surprised that they didn't write up the MoH citation for diving in front of an enemy plane and leading him off to keep him from shooting down one of Bong's men. That ending broke my damned heart, too. There's just something about the way you started the tale of that day that made me realize immediately that the ending wouldn't be happy.
I think there was a Silver Star for that one (just 'For Heroic Actions over the Bismarck Sea') or else 1 of his many *many* Air Medals. The video fails to mention the man had basically every major decoration the Army Air Corps could give him (he was missing ones like the Purple heart, as he was never wounded from enemy action), from the Distinguished Service Cross, 2 Silver Stars and 7 DFCs on top of his MoH, and had so many Air Medals he had 2 of them on his ribbon board for all the Oak Leaf clusters he had from repeats.
Yeah... Test pilots don't have great life expectancy. Should not be a job for a fighter ace, way better used as an instructor and they can keep getting stick time in nice proven airframes.
@@privatezim3637 that's the kind of work that I would expect to be a volunteer job. But if it was, I feel like he was the type of guy who might've volunteered.
A note on heros; You can be one too. Be ordinary, but do that little bit extra. Over time, people will see it. You may think youre busting your hump for chumps, but the truth is that if they couldve, they wouldve. Thats why you are their hero. "Work harder, *AND* smarter" -Mike Rowe.
The fact that this was an hour long video and didn’t get bored or check how much time is left just shows the quality, attention to detail and just straight bad-ass content.
But a combo of social media short form content and increasing rates of things like adhd tend to significantly shorten people’s attention spans, an hour is a lot for some people
The P-38 has a crude form of thrust vectoring, too. At low speeds, the air going over the rudders and elevator give you nose authority where most planes wouldn't have it. It was also very stable and predictable with counter rotating props. All the guns in the nose concentrated the firepower and allowed you to hit a super long ranges (no convergence). The fowler flaps allowed insanely tight turns and low speed flight. The 38 is definitely my favorite WW2 aircraft. Miss flying it in ww2online (I am spdycpu for those that flew there many years ago).
“I’m not crying; you’re crying.” What a great story. I figured the test pilot thing would be his end. I hope the military took care of Marge for the rest of her life.
While on the subject of main characters wearing plot armor, you should look into Leo Major. The guy landed at D-Day, lost an eye and refused to go back home because he said he needed only one eye to shoot and it made him look like a pirate. He then proceeded to single-handedly liberate the town of Zwolle in Holland out of revenge because his best friend just got killed. He received two Distinguished Service Medals, one for Zwolle and one for retaking and defending Hill 355 with his 18 men against two divisions of the Chinese army during the Korean war.
@@lucycarlisle9120there are more towns in the US called after dutch places due to the influence from war and trade but also migration. Even New York once was New Amsterdam in the 17th century. Alot of the history mainly focuses on the English and French but the Netherlands also has been busy back then.
They were also globally known for their architecture and infrastructure back then, I believe, but I suppose that’s to be expected when your country is essentially Europe’s storm drain
This one brought tears to my eyes... Major bong was my grandpa's hero, and when we toured the Richard Bong museum, grandpa was quoting all the headlines like he was a teen, again. Grandpa died a few years back, and this brought back a bunch of good memories.
Most aircraft manufacturers: "Can't do it". Kelly Johnson at Lockheed: "Is that all?" EDIT: "Oh look, it goes supersonic in a dive and had control problems. Guess we'll have to look into that. I wonder how fast an operational plane could go in level flight? I guess most people will never know". Because it's STILL classified.
That's Kelly Johnson Specifically. The reason why today Boeing is shitting the bed is they took engineers like Johnson out of the board room. Lockheed and Boeing and all of them used to be run with the best engineers on the board if directors, and it kept the managment in touch with production. Today it's a bunch of business failers in charge of the companies who do asinine things like move HQ away from the factories.
@@jacobdill4499 SHHHH!!! Don't mess up my sarcasm with facts. Also, my Dad worked for Lockheed on the L-1011, and other projects, for 30 years. I'm kind of a fan.
I don't know if this is directly because of the attention you brought to this legends name but; war thunder ran a side event where you could get a profile pic of Richard Bong. You are an absolute blessing to the TH-cam and military history communities, your videos are both comforting and intriguing to me, probably cuz I am autistic, but still, thank you for doing these videos, and giving heros a proper telling of their story.
Fellow WI boy here and the Bong Recreational Area is legendary among my friends in my teenage years. I know the sign was stolen multiple times. It's great to be home to a legendary American hero that will never be lost to history.
Dick Bong couldn’t have possibly lived a more perfect life, or died a more perfect death. He lived his childhood dream of being a fighter pilot. He became the ace of aces without even trying. He single-handedly improved the skills of countless American pilots in a way that could be objectively observed. He married the love of his life, and kept his promise that they would get married once he was out of the war. He died the same day that the war he single-handedly influenced ended. Even as he was dying doing the thing he loved most, he refused to put others in harm’s way, even if it meant sealing his fate. One of the greatest Americans that ever lived, and arguably one of the greatest people that ever lived.
The Japanese cursed the P-38 Lighting because of its ability of high-altitude flight which far surpassed the clime rate of the Zero. One Japanese official noted “Pilots too were often heard cursing the speedy P-38s which flaunted their flashing performance. The P-38 pilot was in a most enviable position; he could choose to fight when and where he desired, and on his own terms. Under such conditions, the Lighting became one of the most deadly of all enemy planes.”
From "Long Form" to "Documentary"!? 😮 Nic, your work ethic is next level. We appreciate- even if we can't understand how much more energy & effort producing a full feature length documentary entails. 👍
I had an uncle who flew the P38 in World War II. He had 15 kills. Robert Burdett Westbrook Jr. he was killed in late 44 when he and his wingman were both shot down over the ocean. His wingman was recovered with minor injuries. My uncle was never located.
@@elizabethannedavis5176 thank you for your kind words. Unfortunately, I never knew him. I did have five other uncles that served and survived the war. Them I all knew, the last of them passing in 2010
What always amazed me about Major Richard Ira Bong is that he managed it all before his 25th birthday! Very few, if any, do that much in such a short life span.
HI there. I loved your story of Dick Bong. It was a heart breaker at the end. I am a 70 year old lady and the widow of a retired Navy man. I am a subscriber of your channel and one of my other videos of yours I love is the one on the A-10 Warthog. It is by far the coolest plane in the world bar none. Thank you for your channel because it takes a little pain away from my arthritic legs. Please keep putting out the content. Stay safe out there. Take care and God bless
Great work by the way, love your streams. My Dad was in the Air Force during the Cold War. Was lead mechanic for the RB 47H reconnaissance planes right before the B52s. Grew up hearing so many incredible stories. Had the chance to meet and sit down to talk to Bruce Bailey and his wife here in TX before he passed. He was a RB47H pilot during the Cold War. He wrote several books about his time in the service, missions etc. Such an AMAZING man and so generous to sit and share his stories with me knowing my Dad may have worked on his plane. Signed several of his books for me and my Dad. Some very treasured memories.
This pilot had a funny name, grew up as a tough farm boy, was inspired by a chance encounter with his newly discovered life's passion, had fate line up to give him all the perfect opportunities at just the right time with better dramatic timing than most fiction writers, had the natural skill and intense will to be the best at everything he did, and became the best fighter pilot of the largest conflict in human history. There's no way Dick Bong wasn't God's player character for his 20th century RPG campaign.
It's one thing to be a badass. It's another level entirely to be generous and humble WHILE being so badass that most people think it's fiction. Thank you for emphasizing what a truly decent person he was.
I remember when I was 8 or 9, my cousin and I were at an air museum. There was a pilot who flew the P-38 at the exhibit. Really cool to hear him tell his war story and how amazing the aircraft were.
Major Bong: *Does his job even further* General Kenney at any point: We're suffering from success yet again, I just know it... A Hell of a life, to do so much in such little time and have it end so young. The impact to everyone who's been in his presence in person or in media like catching a shooting star on Polaroid as poetic as the Shooting Star that did him in, you never get stories like this any day, not even in a blue moon. RIP to a true maverick to the very end
In Superior, there is a small airport... Richard L. Bong Memorial Airport. The airport is just south of... University of Wisconsin - Superior Small towns love their heroes.
Every video you create is more exciting than the preceding one! What an incredible story told by possibly the best story-teller that I’ve had the pleasure of listening to. Thanks for all your hard work! I’m 66 and most of the subjects of your videos are all new to me. Looking forward to the next one! 😎👍
This is some great history from wisconsin. The Richard Bong museum in superior wi is a great place to check out. If you find yourself there, it's free and filled with a lot of world War 2 history.
For 25 years I’ve driven over the Bong Bridge (one of the two bridges that connects Superior and Duluth), driving thru Poplar, WI (I just moved from Ashland) numerous times and knew of the great man but didn’t know the details until my youngest sent me this video. What a humble, heroic person. How bittersweet to end up finally marrying your love only to die being a humble man and thinking of others. That’s a heartbreaker for sure. Thank you for putting this video out there.
My grandpa grew up in Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin. Born 1926. He worked in a bowling alley picking up and resetting pins by hand when he was 7 years old to be paid 5 cents once every week… the Great Depression was very hard. His older brother lied about his age and became a B-17 navigator, flew out of North Africa to bomb Italy and then later Berlin, even. Total of 30 missions, retired after 22 years a Lt. Col. meanwhile, 1942 to 1944 my grandpa, still a teenager, ended up being a gandy dancer on the Green Bay & Western Railroad. He got through flight school in 1945 and was to be a P-51 pilot escorting B-29s to Japan, but after his final solo flight in July they suddenly put him on standby… and then the bombs were dropped. Younger brother ended up flying cargo / transport for the USAF in Korea, then became a pilot at “Untied” Airlines (as he called it) and retired a captain in the 80s. Only my grandpa never saw the battlefield, but was re-upped for Korea… to guard the airbase at Cheyenne, Wyoming from 1950 to mid 1952. My mom being born three weeks past my grandpa’s birthday in November of ‘52 after he was discharged again. I wonder almost if grandpa ever knew Bong grew up just miles away from himself?
I've noticed that every time you tell a story about an American hero losing their life, it really hits you as it should all of us. Thank you so much for taking your time to make sure everyone knows about the gallantry acts of the service members.
THANK YOU!!! Thank you for telling his story. As a man from Wisconsin, from a family of pilots, Richard Bong has been my hero since I was a kid even dressed as him to meet his wife and brother at EAA in Oshkosh 30 years ago, got hugs from them both. Thank you for bringing his legend to new people who might have never heard of him.
I have had the privilege of knowing 2, WW2 MOH recipients in my life. The thing about both of those men was the humility they had. That generation was absolutely the greatest generation.
Those awarded with the MoH aren't out to win medals. They merely did what needed to be done better than anyone else around, and were willing to put their lives on the line to accomplish the goal in service of others, not just themselves.
@quirkyturtle6652 was absolutely amazing.. both so humble, yet the way they carried themselves, they had total command presence without even trying. Even now 30+ years later I still get a little awestruck. Unfortunately, both are long gone.
To this day, I'm still blown away by your content, the research that goes into it, and the comical delivery in which you portray certain parts. Young man, you are a legend, and a true American patriot for sharing these historical things we don't learn about in school, or public. Its almost as if we aren't supposed to be patriotic anymore.
We have the Bong recreational area off the freeway from where I live in WI. It's great to know that the legendary recreation area from my teenage years is connected to a legendary American ace pilot.
it was also supposed to be a military air base but was abandoned before they poured the runway just like they pretty much abandoned the upkeep of the atv trails there
"Some heroes don't wear capes". Every time I read an article and/or watch a documentary about Maj. Bong, that saying always comes to mind. Thank you Chubby Electron for spending over an hour honoring this man.
As someone who attended UW-Superior, knew exactly where Poplar is even before attending UWS, and drove over the very bridge many many times and has been through the very museum both of which bear his name, thank you for your exposition on Major Bong's life, TFE. I had no idea who Major Bong was before coming to Soup town, then learned quite a bit about what a badass he was and his tragic passing, but your video shared so much more insight than I had already known coming into this video.
as a young man , i would smoke a lot of weed, and every time we passed "Bong Recreations Area" sign on highway 41 WI id laugh, now as a man, learning about my country, learning about the incredible people that have defended this nation. Bong Recreation is a must visit now
Im a plumber up here in the Minneapolis area. My family is from Duluth and the Iron Range. I grew up hearing about Richard Bong. I have been to his museum in Superior Wisconsin many, many times. I even have a die cast replica of his P-38 in my living room. I thought I knew a everything about Richard Bong, but I learned more than a few things from your video. Thanks for doing this, love your videos!
This story is great. But TBH, its also testament to the quality of General Kenney, and his recognizing the ability and leadership qualities of Bong and Lynch.
First Lynch and then Bong, victims of circumstance. What Kenney must have felt realizing his two top boys have fallen, one because he was flying too low to the ground and couldn't bail and the other had a bad engine but pushed it as far as it could go to protect others, knowing he too would not have enough space to jump successfully. I wonder how much of that last downward flight, Bong spent thinking of Lynch, among the friends and family who would miss him.
One of the best vids I’ve seen. Total fan of fighter pilots since I was 15. I read all the books I could find on the Pacific theatre air war by the time I was 17. Read many on all air combat and many on civil aviation. My dad was pilot and I flew with him a lot. However, I never became a pilot much to my regret. Richard Bong and the P-38 Lightning were my favorite pilot and airplane, respectively. There are only 10 airworthy P-38s left in the world. Were I a rich man, I would have one.
Grandfather flew B24s during the war. He was stationed in Texas. They came in and said all the pilots with last names starting in the first half of the alphabet were going to combat in Europe, the bottom half remained on base as instructor pilots. Grandfather’s last name was at the bottom of the alphabet, so he trained (mostly flying so machine gunners could practice on aerial targets). He said people were dying all the time at the base. Life expectancy was certainly better than the guys who got sent to fly missions over Europe, but deaths due to accident were a near daily occurrence. In one near-death experience, my grandfather was landing his plane as another plane took off right beneath him and its wing cut off nearly the entire tail section of his plane, but he still managed to safely land. The men in the other plane all died. There were some other stories but that one stood out. He went awol to marry my grandmother and had to drive back to base in a rare Texas snowstorm (didn’t get in trouble). Throughout the rest of his life, he owned and flew single engine planes. He once had an engine failure in his Mooney and had to crash land in a corn field, making the local newspaper. He built his entire farm and house with his own two hands. Not a “hero” in our nation’s lore, but he was my hero and role model. The men of this time were giants.
I am an 80 year old widow, and in tears right now! My heart goes out to Marge Bong, who waited so faithfully, only to have her husband die so soon after their wedding. Major Bong was a true American hero.
P-38 my favorite plane in history. Several times in the European theater the pilots would exhaust their ammunition and continue to pick BF-109s out of the sky by playing chicken, and not flinching. The only airplane in history to officially win a game of chicken every time.
To be fair he was a fucking NUTTY pilot so they probably reasoned he would be able to safely handle anything except a spontaneous explosion. And to be fair, they were right, he could have bailed. I'd argue he could maybe have ejected earlier after aiming the plane, but he was concerned with ENSURING everyones safety not just trying to
The only thing I take exception to with this video is the labeling of Bong not "padding his stats" by giving planes he'd shot-down to the other pilots flying with him. Padding your stats implies tallying easy notches like the old "Christmas Noob Harvest" in CoD where a bunch of new kids got the game for Christmas, being easy pickings when they jumped into a game that other players had been demolishing for months. Bong was giving-away LEGITIMATE KILLS; he'd worked for those kills, earned them and still said "nah, I'll let the homies have this one." He's like the smoothest, best-looking guy of the friend group out at the bar turning-down women who're throwing themselves at him and, instead, setting up his boys. He's padding THEIR stats.
Maj Bong "handing off" his kills is almost identical to what Col Robin Olds was doing in Vietnam once he got to 4 kills. He knew it would build the morale for his wingmen, and it would keep him from being sent home too soon.
@@Dragon_Werks yes he was! And he famously had one of his kills during a "glider" incident where dropped his external tanks and forgot to switch to internal tanks, so he lost engine power still was able to maneuver to score the hits.
Awesome narrating! The only downside I find in your work is, every awesome content has to come to an end. If there was a medal for awesome narrating and re-living the past, you Sir deserve it. I am bestowing you the medal of honor for best WWII history content. I felt, I was there with Bong with your narrating. My grand father is a filipino war hero and fought the Japanese occupation. Your content is amazing. I wish it never ends. I wish you the best and keep the next generation aware of the sacrifices our forefathers had to make, so they can enjoy what they have today. From a filipino Canadian, Thank you.
You are one hell of a story teller,for sure ‼️🇺🇸 I wish I had my Uncle Russ’s whole story from his time in the battle of the Bulge. He to was a humble farm boy,from South Jersey. He was a corporal in the army, Corps of engineers and several metals and field promotion to Sgt in the battle of the Bulge. 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
Don't ever apologize for making a long video. I was watching the whole way through. You're not only a gifted storyteller but an effective teacher, and talking about things you're passionate about makes it all the better.
Went to England December 1978. I was 16. Loved the fact that I could smoke and have a pint in the movie theater which was gorgeous. Real fish and chips and the historical sights. English pop culture is great. From Monty Python to the Beatles to Shakespeare. I know some difficulties are occurring now, but I have faith in your English determination to get through it and right the ship! Going through similar things here in US. Catch ya on the flip side!
General Kenny has basically the disappointed but at the same time proud father energy because he knew that Bong is one of if not the most modest, humble, and greatest fighter pilot of all time. If there was a mount rushmore/ hall of fame for greatest fighter pilot/military personnel, he would be on it.
I cheered when he finally got home and married Marge. I was praying for a 70+ year marriage. Instead, my heart is aching for all his loved ones, especially Marge. 😢😢 That was a real bummer. Salute to you, Maj. Bong! Thank you for your incredible service to our nation. RIP, Sir.
This video may have been longer than your previous accounts of America's greatest legends, but deserving of every second of work you put into it. I am fifty years old and never knew this man existed. Which is fucking tragic, if not borderline criminal. Thank you for righting that wrong and reintroducing MOH recipient Bong to the people again.
You are one of the best storytellers! I'm not much interested in military things...BUT I can't stop watching your videos. This one is so exciting...and the one on Jack Lucas was even better. Thanx, Beth
My cousin buzzed our great grandmother’s farm. Nocking off the ball turret on one of the big oaks in the yard. She was so pissed off she was writing Roosevelt until she found out it was him. Then she was mad at him cause he could have killed him self. The rest of the family thought it was hilarious. Great job on telling this story!
Check out War Thunder and use my link for a free large bonus back with boosters, vehicles, and more: playwt.link/thefatelectrician
Thank you for covering this American Hero. What Bong and his squadron did in the pacific affected the entire war, knocking out Japan's chief strategist. Brings back the memories of reading his exploits over two decades ago.
Octo - ace
stop dont trick the new players let them maintain their inocence
yo remember when i told you i could help you get through war thunder in the t95 vid i am still happy to do it
doubt this will work.. but. 🤡I've played WT on and off for years now. Be pretty cool if you were to do a "squad with subs" series or 3rd channel (or possibly an unsub crew channel?). Either way, thank you for making history fun again for me!
Man, that ending is brutal. To get home, to have your happy ever after, only to die because you weren't willing to endanger innocents. What a man.
But probably the most military thing to ever happen. Do everything they can to send him home to keep him safe and make him a test pilot.
Man was a genuine hero. Courageous, good at what he did for a living, determined, cunning/smart, and self-sacrificing right to the very end.
Sounds like Uhtred of Bebbanburg
I was crushed when I saw the end...
@@DamienDrake2940 Seriously, what idiot in the chain of command made that decision? Were they just completely ignorant to the fact that testing planes was extremely dangerous, especially Jet Aircraft in the fucking 1940s? Total egghead move.
Roman Centurion: I was slain in battle by a mighty Celtic warrior. You?
Japanese Pilot: I got shot down by a man named Dick Bong.
Biggus Dickus?
Japanese pilot: Hey, is that him? Who do you think killed him? Marseille, was that you?
Marseille: Nein, we fought on opposite sides of the planet.
Bong: Hey, what's up?
Japanese pilot: How'd you end up here? What mighty pilot slayed the great Richard Bong?
Bong: Actually, my engine blew up.
Nick, that was a great video. Absolutely worth all your efforts to make.
As always much appreciated.
P.s. those damned onion cutting ninjas are everywhere 😉, here included.
Oh yeha - there's a big queue of you guys over there.
Lmao
Surviving crocodiles: "Don't. touch. The boats!"
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Crocodile broke rule number 1....
Never touch America’s boats!
I keep expecting tp see a "Don't Touch our Boats" Play List on his sight, in oldest event to most recent.
Not even a raft!!!!
THAT’S MY UNCLE
been bragging about him for 15 years - glad he’s finally getting some recognition!!!!
I am thinking you have a *lot* of cousins
Recognition shit I’m still tired from hearing this I’m glad bro got some rest
lol your Aunt used to takes hits from the Bong
He also has the bridge into Duluth named after him 👍🏼
please tell me he made a couple kids?!
HE WAS 24 YEARS OLD WHEN "THAT" HAPPENED?? So let me get this straight... this boss of a main character was a Major at 24 years old, got 40 confirmed kills, and his last act of heroism was saving civilians by guiding his aircraft away from the population... it is absolutely warranted for any man to shed a tear for this absolute Herculean of a man.
He was an example of the greatest generation.
@@longshot7601 He's quite possibly one of the best examples of the greatest generation
I agry
Couldn't agree more. Belongs in the hall of heroes on several levels.
WHAT HAVE I DONE WITH MY LIFE ..... as great as this story was/is it has made me aware of just how much i suck
With a last name of Bong, you know this guy was born to fly high.
Dude well done.
I both hate and love this comment
Lol
Imagine the shit he'd get in basic for the last name now. 😂
😂😂😂 love it 😂😂😂
Lockheed Skunkworks honestly deserves an entire video of its own. Basically all batshit insane, seemingly impossible military aviation projects had these guys involved, and that’s just the shit we know about.
I imagine there is technology designed during the Vietnam war that is still classified
This is absolutely a video that needs to happen. Hell, I can see the title now:
"America's Miracle Aviation Engineers - Skunkworks"
@@drd675 Oh I'm sure, there is probably a metric fuckton from the cold war era as well.
Skunkworks what happens when the US says F it grab all the mad scientists and engineers from around the US and put them in a compound together to make weird tech.
P-38 was before the formal creation of the Skunkworks but it was basically a Skunkworks plane, then the P-80, U-2, A-12/YF-12/SR-71, F-117, F-22, F-35, and plenty more things we know very little or absolutely nothing about. Yeah, it's worth a video, though admittedly it's more badass engineering than badass soldiers/sailors/airmen/marines.
Timing your kills for deer season is the most country boy gangster shit I’ve heard 😂
As a Wisconsinite I can tell you - very in character for us too
Same thing with Minnesotans. SKOL Vikings by the way.
A man with balls so big he needed two engines.
For a more technical explanation about the P-38's design, I suggest Greg's Airplanes and Automobiles channel on TH-cam. It's super informative!
Dude not only outperformed Japanese pilots, he did it while his plane weighed more than anything else in the war
@AnimarchyHistory Azure Lane style back when?
hey buddy nice too see you here been a sub since your Prinz Eugen video
Fun to see you here too :D
Was fully expecting this guy to have bad eyesight.
Same
haha, very good....
I thought the same thing.
Yup.
Maybe he did, which is why he had to get "too close to miss" :D
I'm sitting here in my basement, eating some delicious curry and watching this video when I think to myself, "huh, I think one of the many models my dad has is a P-38 Lightning", look over, and not only is one of them a Lightning, but it's got Marge's markings. I've never heard of this guy until now but have had a model of his plane sitting next to me since I was a kid.
amazing.
@emanekaf145 when I was going through Highschool, my Dad got into the Revell line of 1/48 scale fighter planes of WWII, and a few WWI biplanes. He built the very same kit you did, and my reaction to your story is that I felt exactly like you did, finally seeing a story about THAT PARTICULAR AIRCRAFT! And by the way, wasn't the real Marge pretty?
I'm sitting in my recliner, also eating a delicious curry I made earlier, but no P-38 next to me. Cheers lol
All the aces have the models. Old crow is always a given on early model P-51's. The P-47's usually have the polish guy who was the original A-10 pilot but in ww2 in his P-47.
@@rickmills4801 My dad builds about four or five of those models a year. I wish I had that mans patience and attention to detail.
From "Long Form" to "Documentary"!?
Nic, your work ethic is next level. We appreciate- even if we can't understand how much more energy & effort producing a full feature length documentary entails.
Humility and Modesty are the most under rated character traits these days
When I was a kid it was called Honour, not a fashionable term anymore. Unfortunately.
I couldn't agree more. My modesty is my character trait that im most proud of. I'm probably the most humble person I know.
My old PLT SGT once told me, when you become a team leader your accomplishments shouldn't matter. If you brag about what you did after becoming a leader you are about yourself. All that matters at this point is how far your soldiers go. That will show how good of a leader you are.
It sort of always has been. Those with humility and modesty are much less likely to catch the public eye due to that humility and modesty. It's always been that way and it probably always will be that way.
@@jlmfoy365 Honor* :D
That said, honor is such a tricky term because it pretty much means "Whatever this society believes to be virtuous behavior at this time." That's why its fallen out of favor. Since virtuous traits constantly change and shift and don't translate between societies very well, as society becomes more globalized, the term becomes less and less useful. As a term becomes less useful, it becomes less fashionable to use. That isn't really an unfortunate thing, it just... is. We still have words and phrases to describe these concepts. That said, there is a more solid definition for honor, but its about how to act as a combatant or in regard to debts.
Dude, General Kenny was an absolute bro.
Man had his boys back more then I would figure from a General, and I'm here for it.
Generals tend to realize the value of their troops more in times of war. Especially a world war.
Meanwhile this generation of generals and admirals would sell the souls of every last one of their subordinates for a stale cookie.
Fat electrician has upgraded from shorts to documentaries.
Love your work Nick.
Absolutely excellent and can watch this all day!
He's got a knack for it. Not many people can keep my attention for an hour about a pilot
RIGHT, FE IS THE “BOOMER” “History Guy - A Legend In Learning, Lance Geiger!”
I was stationed at Langley AFB from 00’-04’ and a few months after 9/11, a Navy pilot from Norfolk buzzed the base - close enough that the sonic boom shattered some windows. Given Langley is the headquarters of Air Combat Command, I don’t know what happened to him, but I’d bet he wasn’t afforded the same grace as Dick Bong…
So... His actual arial victory count is more like... 50+ because he gave so many away.
Dude's up there playing ACE Combat... A Major at 24 and saved lives at the expense of his own. What a fucking legend.
So thats where Chopper's death was based on
"He's the one, no doubt the Ace of Aces."
@@GeistDrachen Nice Swordsman quote!
Don’t forget the Aligator too so it’s like 51-61+ Ks but I guess the alligator being a ground/lake target doesn’t count or same with the plane about to take off with generals so more like 50+-60+ shoot downs
Bro was playing ACE Combat while everyone else was doing the tutorial in Pilotwings.
My Grandfather worked with Bong and flew in his P-38 back in 1943. My grandfather was infantry in the 41st infantry on New Guinea training and volunteered to be a B-25 nose gunner. He was interested in mechanics (became an auto mechanic after the war) and was geeking out over the P-38s turbo-supercharger and Bong noticed him. After a few days of talking Bong offered to take my grandfather up in his P-38. Look to the video to see the girlfriend sitting behind the main seat... she was sitting on the radio. Hard to transport someone with that there. So Bong and granddad ripped the radio out and my grandfather sat where it was. 3 feet lower. So imagine this, you have a 6' man sitting in a hole, knees near his ears and his ankles up on Bong's shoulders in a P-38. Uncomfortable to say the least. Granddad said that Bong gunned it and left the ground halfway down the airstrip, put balls to the wall and at the end of the runway went vertical to 10,000 ft. (neither had oxygen so he didn't go much higher). Later in the war my granddad pulled the aluminum skin off a downed zero and made a matchbox cover out of it and inscribed it to Bong in remembrance of the flight. He found out Bong died a few months later.
My grandpa flew the p38 and b25 have tons of photos!!! He was a LT
Dick Bong was my great uncle. My Grandpa's brother and he wrote two books about him Ace of Aces and Dear Mom We Have a War
I've worked with many bongs from the 80s right up to pre covoid 19... Sharing isn't caring any more lads.
Now that is a kick ass story ide personally love to se a video from his point of view like his side of the drama
Stories that never happened for $500
General Kenney was a piece of work himself. The 5th Air Force called themselves "Kenney's Kids" and they all loved him. He couldn't get drop tanks from America because they were all going to Europe so he came up with a simple design and had Australian auto workers pound them out of sheet metal. He also was the guy who put 15 fifty caliber machine guns in the nose of B25's for strafing. He also put parachutes on bombs for very low level attacks.
Sounds like he might need a video of his own.
@@dcw8284 I think that the body positive wiring guy should do just that
Honestly throughout this entire video I found that General Kenney was my favorite character.
That was my thinking through the whole vid. Hopefully the next one is about him
Pappy Gunn was a major factor in the up gunning of B-26's and A20's.
Excellent vid! My grandfather served with Bong and I remember him speaking highly of the man during the rare times he would talk about his service in WWII. Thank you.
Grew up in Wisconsin. Would always laugh when I drove past a sign that read “Bong recreation area” never knew the history behind it. What a hero
same... previous to today... it was famous for most stole sign to me
How about the Bong bridge between duluth and superior
For real dude. Iv always just smiled at it, thinking thats a strange name for a park. Fk never knew that before, a lot more respect.
Bunch of pot heads hang out around his memorial
You are a talented story teller. I have heard this story before but was not nearly as well entertained. It was certainly not too long for me. I shall be looking for more of your work. Thank you.
"grab that fighter plane, bring it over here and king me" cracked me up 🤣
same
Yes! Lol
2 fighters strapped together with a wing.
Do a video on Pappy Boyington and his bastards (black sheep)
Epic line.
This is some DBZ Abridged Cell level of "Get back over here and punch be on my perfect jawline!!"
Thanks for not letting America’s hero be forgotten.
This man didn’t want hurt anyone, but you don’t fuck with the calmest guy in the Pacific theater.
"Jimmy! Grab that fighter jet, bring it over here and king me!" You, sir have a way with words and I love it.
Agreed, absolutely beautiful!
Look at Nick's face when he's talking about how Mayor Bong died. You can tell he was tearing up off-camera.
Same, dude, same.
If you take just one small step into a hypothetical future. This man had a higher than most likelihood of being involved in the space program. Maybe not an astronaut. But as a man teaching and testing the men who were.
This man has steadily become my favorite source of old military history, he disrespects while also respects those of the past from both sides all at once. Could not ask for a better man to watch about this stuff. Amazing job man
I was watching TV and thought, wow I want to get my quack bang on. I wonder if he posted today. I was greeted with 30 minutes of quack and 30 minutes of bang.
You’ll love the new episode of the “unsubscribe podcast” that will come out tomorrow on TH-cam. The Fat Electrician and his friends have two WW2 veterans as guests. It’s great
This is my favorite channel... And I'm a girl. Lol... From a military family. I send these videos to all of them that are still living.
PS. The Unsubscribe Podcast is Dope AF. The episode with Grampa Gamer was... I'm a girl, searching for a proper adjective that conveys the proper masculine justice... * BEEP - FAIL... It was adorable watching them totally Fan-Boy over Grampa Gamer. And Grampa Gamer is quite the humble legend himself.
@@she-wolfkira4927 Love that podcast but didn't catch the one with grandpa gamer headed there right after this now.🤣
@@chrisnorman1430 Come back afterwards and say if I was lyin... Lol...
Growing up in south eastern Wisconsin in the 50s and early 60s I was very familiar with what at the time was called Bong Air Force Base. For some reason a couple of nights ago, I was sitting here reminiscing, and my mind came across Bong. I reminded myself that I wanted to know more about Bong Air Force Base ( now Bong recreational area). I had family that lived in Kansasville and can remember sitting around a table talking about all the work out at the Air Force Base. As the Boy Scout, we camped there often. Very cool as a young man walking along those massive runways and taxiways. Now, they’re all grown over. Thank you so much for your work on this.
Can we also take a minute to appreciate General Kenny and how much he had his peoples backs?
Even in his last moments he made sure everyone in the general area was safe before even thinking about his own safety
I am a volunteer at the Bong museum in superior Wisconsin and I got to experience and meet the Bong family the earlier this year. I just want to say it’s great that one of my favorite TH-camrs makes a story about a small pilot from Poplar, Wisconsin
His son is also a pilot - a fighter who is my dads best friend. We used to go to his lake house as a kid out in Wisconsin, he’s was a good man. He also has a bridge/museum named after him in Superior, WI. Great story and amazing man.
I was wondering if he was able to have a kid in his short marriage. That's awesome.
Thank God Richard Bongs legacy lives on.
The museum is a great place
@@spinalobifida I mean, back in the day you'd actually use the honeymoon to be very productive, if you catch my drift :P
Pretty sure he didn’t have a kid. Couldn’t find anything about it.
Brooooo that fkn ending hurts.. man among men Maj Bong is a titan .
I'd rather take a private Bong
About half way thru the video it dawned on me that we had seen no "elder" pictures of Mr. Bong. So I was like man, he's not gonna make it home is he? I was surprised when he did make it home but wasn't surprised when he died shortly thereafter, such a tragedy.
You can’t fly combat, you might die. Also go fly this experimental jet.
My thoughts exactly
@@BryanRoaming They assumed the plot armor was thick enough. But the engineers that made the P80 forgot to account for the shear weight of Bong's balls
Same
Sup
You should get a quack bang sticker in war thunder… make it happen!
I’ll rep it🙌🏻😎😈
9@@georgepitra4862
This
As a WarThunder player, I would plaster that on every plane/tank I play
Yes!!!!
I'm surprised that they didn't write up the MoH citation for diving in front of an enemy plane and leading him off to keep him from shooting down one of Bong's men.
That ending broke my damned heart, too. There's just something about the way you started the tale of that day that made me realize immediately that the ending wouldn't be happy.
I think there was a Silver Star for that one (just 'For Heroic Actions over the Bismarck Sea') or else 1 of his many *many* Air Medals. The video fails to mention the man had basically every major decoration the Army Air Corps could give him (he was missing ones like the Purple heart, as he was never wounded from enemy action), from the Distinguished Service Cross, 2 Silver Stars and 7 DFCs on top of his MoH, and had so many Air Medals he had 2 of them on his ribbon board for all the Oak Leaf clusters he had from repeats.
Yeah... Test pilots don't have great life expectancy. Should not be a job for a fighter ace, way better used as an instructor and they can keep getting stick time in nice proven airframes.
@@privatezim3637 that's the kind of work that I would expect to be a volunteer job. But if it was, I feel like he was the type of guy who might've volunteered.
This is the definition of a "STUD" . Humble, honest, reliable, capable man. A true warrior. THANK YOU❤ Mr. Bong.... sincerely, Thank You...jus'sayn
"Jimmy grab that fighter plane, bring it over here and King me" so good
A note on heros;
You can be one too.
Be ordinary, but do that little bit extra. Over time, people will see it.
You may think youre busting your hump for chumps, but the truth is that if they couldve, they wouldve.
Thats why you are their hero.
"Work harder, *AND* smarter"
-Mike Rowe.
The fact that this was an hour long video and didn’t get bored or check how much time is left just shows the quality, attention to detail and just straight bad-ass content.
But a combo of social media short form content and increasing rates of things like adhd tend to significantly shorten people’s attention spans, an hour is a lot for some people
The P-38 has a crude form of thrust vectoring, too. At low speeds, the air going over the rudders and elevator give you nose authority where most planes wouldn't have it. It was also very stable and predictable with counter rotating props. All the guns in the nose concentrated the firepower and allowed you to hit a super long ranges (no convergence). The fowler flaps allowed insanely tight turns and low speed flight. The 38 is definitely my favorite WW2 aircraft. Miss flying it in ww2online (I am spdycpu for those that flew there many years ago).
I'll say it again....this man is the GREATEST story teller of our time. No contest
I totally agree! He is fantastic!
He and Mr. Ballen are unrivaled
If we could only have teachers like nick in schools now a days.
I've listened to this story three times now.
@@thenerv37 I binged watch at some point every day.
“I’m not crying; you’re crying.” What a great story. I figured the test pilot thing would be his end. I hope the military took care of Marge for the rest of her life.
I hope so. Damn military has such a terrible rep for taking care of families
After the reporters told bong about his 28th kill, I can only imagine the grin of certainty and “I told you so” on his face😂
While on the subject of main characters wearing plot armor, you should look into Leo Major. The guy landed at D-Day, lost an eye and refused to go back home because he said he needed only one eye to shoot and it made him look like a pirate. He then proceeded to single-handedly liberate the town of Zwolle in Holland out of revenge because his best friend just got killed. He received two Distinguished Service Medals, one for Zwolle and one for retaking and defending Hill 355 with his 18 men against two divisions of the Chinese army during the Korean war.
We have a Zwolle in Louisiana. I'm'a hafta look up & see why we named it that. We got a Delhi, too, for some strange reason.
He also refuse the Victoria Cross because he said that the general who was to present it to him wasnt worthy of putting it on him
@@fatherobama7658 That's badass and all too common today.
@@lucycarlisle9120there are more towns in the US called after dutch places due to the influence from war and trade but also migration.
Even New York once was New Amsterdam in the 17th century.
Alot of the history mainly focuses on the English and French but the Netherlands also has been busy back then.
They were also globally known for their architecture and infrastructure back then, I believe, but I suppose that’s to be expected when your country is essentially Europe’s storm drain
This one brought tears to my eyes... Major bong was my grandpa's hero, and when we toured the Richard Bong museum, grandpa was quoting all the headlines like he was a teen, again. Grandpa died a few years back, and this brought back a bunch of good memories.
Most aircraft manufacturers: "Can't do it".
Kelly Johnson at Lockheed: "Is that all?"
EDIT: "Oh look, it goes supersonic in a dive and had control problems. Guess we'll have to look into that. I wonder how fast an operational plane could go in level flight? I guess most people will never know". Because it's STILL classified.
Lock-Mart will always be the best aircraft manufacturer in the world
That's Kelly Johnson Specifically.
The reason why today Boeing is shitting the bed is they took engineers like Johnson out of the board room. Lockheed and Boeing and all of them used to be run with the best engineers on the board if directors, and it kept the managment in touch with production. Today it's a bunch of business failers in charge of the companies who do asinine things like move HQ away from the factories.
I will politely contest that claim with Grumman. Three words: Wildcat, Hellcat, Tomcat.
@@jacobdill4499 Don't forget the Mailcat.
@@jacobdill4499 SHHHH!!! Don't mess up my sarcasm with facts. Also, my Dad worked for Lockheed on the L-1011, and other projects, for 30 years. I'm kind of a fan.
I don't know if this is directly because of the attention you brought to this legends name but; war thunder ran a side event where you could get a profile pic of Richard Bong. You are an absolute blessing to the TH-cam and military history communities, your videos are both comforting and intriguing to me, probably cuz I am autistic, but still, thank you for doing these videos, and giving heros a proper telling of their story.
Fellow WI boy here and the Bong Recreational Area is legendary among my friends in my teenage years. I know the sign was stolen multiple times. It's great to be home to a legendary American hero that will never be lost to history.
Hell yeah I have a old photo with that sign somewhere !
Drove past Bong Recreational Area four days ago...
Thanks to Plus Sized Sparkly Guy. Bong's story will resonate.
Not to mention the Bong bridge.
Local boy😅
Dick Bong couldn’t have possibly lived a more perfect life, or died a more perfect death.
He lived his childhood dream of being a fighter pilot. He became the ace of aces without even trying. He single-handedly improved the skills of countless American pilots in a way that could be objectively observed. He married the love of his life, and kept his promise that they would get married once he was out of the war. He died the same day that the war he single-handedly influenced ended.
Even as he was dying doing the thing he loved most, he refused to put others in harm’s way, even if it meant sealing his fate. One of the greatest Americans that ever lived, and arguably one of the greatest people that ever lived.
The Japanese cursed the P-38 Lighting because of its ability of high-altitude flight which far surpassed the clime rate of the Zero. One Japanese official noted “Pilots too were often heard cursing the speedy P-38s which flaunted their flashing performance. The P-38 pilot was in a most enviable position; he could choose to fight when and where he desired, and on his own terms. Under such conditions, the Lighting became one of the most deadly of all enemy planes.”
From "Long Form" to "Documentary"!? 😮
Nic, your work ethic is next level. We appreciate- even if we can't understand how much more energy & effort producing a full feature length documentary entails. 👍
I had an uncle who flew the P38 in World War II. He had 15 kills. Robert Burdett Westbrook Jr. he was killed in late 44 when he and his wingman were both shot down over the ocean. His wingman was recovered with minor injuries. My uncle was never located.
Your uncle is a hero. God bless him, and your family, for the sacrifice ❤❤❤
Love and respect!
@@elizabethannedavis5176 thank you for your kind words. Unfortunately, I never knew him. I did have five other uncles that served and survived the war. Them I all knew, the last of them passing in 2010
Not recovered? Your Hero Uncle just kept flying west, my friend.
May he rest in peace, having done his duty and paid the greatest and hardest price any one person can.
What always amazed me about Major Richard Ira Bong is that he managed it all before his 25th birthday! Very few, if any, do that much in such a short life span.
He's sitting right next to Alexander the Great.
HI there. I loved your story of Dick Bong. It was a heart breaker at the end. I am a 70 year old lady and the widow of a retired Navy man. I am a subscriber of your channel and one of my other videos of yours I love is the one on the A-10 Warthog. It is by far the coolest plane in the world bar none. Thank you for your channel because it takes a little pain away from my arthritic legs. Please keep putting out the content. Stay safe out there. Take care and God bless
Great work by the way, love your streams. My Dad was in the Air Force during the Cold War. Was lead mechanic for the RB 47H reconnaissance planes right before the B52s. Grew up hearing so many incredible stories. Had the chance to meet and sit down to talk to Bruce Bailey and his wife here in TX before he passed. He was a RB47H pilot during the Cold War. He wrote several books about his time in the service, missions etc. Such an AMAZING man and so generous to sit and share his stories with me knowing my Dad may have worked on his plane. Signed several of his books for me and my Dad. Some very treasured memories.
This pilot had a funny name, grew up as a tough farm boy, was inspired by a chance encounter with his newly discovered life's passion, had fate line up to give him all the perfect opportunities at just the right time with better dramatic timing than most fiction writers, had the natural skill and intense will to be the best at everything he did, and became the best fighter pilot of the largest conflict in human history. There's no way Dick Bong wasn't God's player character for his 20th century RPG campaign.
Especially with how two of his planes crashed without him. 🤔😮
Oh boy, on my lunch break at work, got some cookies and some chocolate milk and a new FatElectrition vid drops? Is this heaven?
You made it to Valhalla
Indeed my child it's not far from it.
And it's a hour long today is a good day
A great surprise gift today. FE on Friday afternoon!!
Did you get banana bread at work, tho?
It's one thing to be a badass.
It's another level entirely to be generous and humble WHILE being so badass that most people think it's fiction.
Thank you for emphasizing what a truly decent person he was.
I remember when I was 8 or 9, my cousin and I were at an air museum. There was a pilot who flew the P-38 at the exhibit. Really cool to hear him tell his war story and how amazing the aircraft were.
Dude your killing it best history teacher ever
Agreed.
Just goes to show you don’t need to go to college an get a degree to be able to teach…. Just my thoughts
@@CowboyNC exactly, I could not agree with you more.
But he is taking college history but it’s ok
Major Bong: *Does his job even further*
General Kenney at any point: We're suffering from success yet again, I just know it...
A Hell of a life, to do so much in such little time and have it end so young. The impact to everyone who's been in his presence in person or in media like catching a shooting star on Polaroid as poetic as the Shooting Star that did him in, you never get stories like this any day, not even in a blue moon. RIP to a true maverick to the very end
Speaking of shooting stars (not the P-80), you reckon Bong would have wanted to progress beyond test piloting to NASA? 🤔
@@PaulieMcCoy Damn sure he will. He is just that cool
@@PaulieMcCoy i suspect he totally would have tried to be an astronaut lol
@@PaulieMcCoy at that point in his life, he'd be demanding they'd let him fly the thing
In Superior, there is a small airport... Richard L. Bong Memorial Airport.
The airport is just south of... University of Wisconsin - Superior
Small towns love their heroes.
Bong almost got his own Air Force Base too
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Bong_State_Recreation_Area
Can't forget the Bong bridge connecting Superior, WI and Duluth, MN
Every video you create is more exciting than the preceding one! What an incredible story told by possibly the best story-teller that I’ve had the pleasure of listening to. Thanks for all your hard work! I’m 66 and most of the subjects of your videos are all new to me. Looking forward to the next one! 😎👍
“ I just get so close I can’t miss “ is the most gangster thing ever.
Dude was flying arcade at that point.
Kenny.... How close were you...... I think I was reading his gauges when I pull the trigger.....
This is some great history from wisconsin. The Richard Bong museum in superior wi is a great place to check out. If you find yourself there, it's free and filled with a lot of world War 2 history.
alvin and the taliban
There is also Bong Recreational Area south of Milwaukee.
I am gonna go and check out the museum
I have been to the museum and it is well worth the visit.
I'll definitely check it out if I'm ever there!
For 25 years I’ve driven over the Bong Bridge (one of the two bridges that connects Superior and Duluth), driving thru Poplar, WI (I just moved from Ashland) numerous times and knew of the great man but didn’t know the details until my youngest sent me this video. What a humble, heroic person. How bittersweet to end up finally marrying your love only to die being a humble man and thinking of others. That’s a heartbreaker for sure.
Thank you for putting this video out there.
If you're still in the area, stop in at the museum in Superior WI. Its really cool and has his actual plane in it.
@@crazybmanp The visitors center at the Belknap intersection? I’ve been meaning to for years.
@@luciastan64 yea, right by the ss meteor which is another cool museum (although that's only open outside of winter)
US hwy 2
@@crazybmanp yupper! Went there years ago. My dad called it a pig boat. Said it was the last one around.
My grandpa grew up in Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin. Born 1926. He worked in a bowling alley picking up and resetting pins by hand when he was 7 years old to be paid 5 cents once every week… the Great Depression was very hard. His older brother lied about his age and became a B-17 navigator, flew out of North Africa to bomb Italy and then later Berlin, even. Total of 30 missions, retired after 22 years a Lt. Col. meanwhile, 1942 to 1944 my grandpa, still a teenager, ended up being a gandy dancer on the Green Bay & Western Railroad. He got through flight school in 1945 and was to be a P-51 pilot escorting B-29s to Japan, but after his final solo flight in July they suddenly put him on standby… and then the bombs were dropped. Younger brother ended up flying cargo / transport for the USAF in Korea, then became a pilot at “Untied” Airlines (as he called it) and retired a captain in the 80s. Only my grandpa never saw the battlefield, but was re-upped for Korea… to guard the airbase at Cheyenne, Wyoming from 1950 to mid 1952. My mom being born three weeks past my grandpa’s birthday in November of ‘52 after he was discharged again. I wonder almost if grandpa ever knew Bong grew up just miles away from himself?
I've noticed that every time you tell a story about an American hero losing their life, it really hits you as it should all of us. Thank you so much for taking your time to make sure everyone knows about the gallantry acts of the service members.
THANK YOU!!! Thank you for telling his story. As a man from Wisconsin, from a family of pilots, Richard Bong has been my hero since I was a kid even dressed as him to meet his wife and brother at EAA in Oshkosh 30 years ago, got hugs from them both. Thank you for bringing his legend to new people who might have never heard of him.
Imagine being such a legend that OTHER PEOPLE start digging up planes from the bottom of the ocean just to prove it.
I have had the privilege of knowing 2, WW2 MOH recipients in my life. The thing about both of those men was the humility they had. That generation was absolutely the greatest generation.
Those awarded with the MoH aren't out to win medals. They merely did what needed to be done better than anyone else around, and were willing to put their lives on the line to accomplish the goal in service of others, not just themselves.
Dang I would say that’s lucky but that doesn’t seem like the right word. Must’ve been a hell of moment each time
@quirkyturtle6652 was absolutely amazing.. both so humble, yet the way they carried themselves, they had total command presence without even trying. Even now 30+ years later I still get a little awestruck. Unfortunately, both are long gone.
To this day, I'm still blown away by your content, the research that goes into it, and the comical delivery in which you portray certain parts. Young man, you are a legend, and a true American patriot for sharing these historical things we don't learn about in school, or public. Its almost as if we aren't supposed to be patriotic anymore.
I did not know his story but GD...I just knew he was gonna bite it in the test pilot phase. I'm not crying, you're crying!!!! I love your stuff Nick.
Damn near brought me to tears with the pride for my country I felt hearing that man's story
I love these stories man, thank you for sharing them
this is my great uncle, my father helped with the museum in Poplar, WI. so great to see you do a video about him.
We have the Bong recreational area off the freeway from where I live in WI. It's great to know that the legendary recreation area from my teenage years is connected to a legendary American ace pilot.
I’m sure nothing illegal happens in the bong recreational area
it was also supposed to be a military air base but was abandoned before they poured the runway just like they pretty much abandoned the upkeep of the atv trails there
Yup 142&75 I pass it every day haha
I have camped there.
@@megilson You steal that sign? I know you did lol. My friends always talked about it.
"Some heroes don't wear capes". Every time I read an article and/or watch a documentary about Maj. Bong, that saying always comes to mind. Thank you Chubby Electron for spending over an hour honoring this man.
"Some heroes wear o2 masks and a giant ball hammock".
-Probably one of Bong's wingman
As someone who attended UW-Superior, knew exactly where Poplar is even before attending UWS, and drove over the very bridge many many times and has been through the very museum both of which bear his name, thank you for your exposition on Major Bong's life, TFE.
I had no idea who Major Bong was before coming to Soup town, then learned quite a bit about what a badass he was and his tragic passing, but your video shared so much more insight than I had already known coming into this video.
as a young man , i would smoke a lot of weed, and every time we passed "Bong Recreations Area" sign on highway 41 WI id laugh, now as a man, learning about my country, learning about the incredible people that have defended this nation. Bong Recreation is a must visit now
Im a plumber up here in the Minneapolis area. My family is from Duluth and the Iron Range. I grew up hearing about Richard Bong. I have been to his museum in Superior Wisconsin many, many times. I even have a die cast replica of his P-38 in my living room. I thought I knew a everything about Richard Bong, but I learned more than a few things from your video. Thanks for doing this, love your videos!
This story is great. But TBH, its also testament to the quality of General Kenney, and his recognizing the ability and leadership qualities of Bong and Lynch.
First Lynch and then Bong, victims of circumstance. What Kenney must have felt realizing his two top boys have fallen, one because he was flying too low to the ground and couldn't bail and the other had a bad engine but pushed it as far as it could go to protect others, knowing he too would not have enough space to jump successfully.
I wonder how much of that last downward flight, Bong spent thinking of Lynch, among the friends and family who would miss him.
One of the best vids I’ve seen. Total fan of fighter pilots since I was 15. I read all the books I could find on the Pacific theatre air war by the time I was 17. Read many on all air combat and many on civil aviation. My dad was pilot and I flew with him a lot. However, I never became a pilot much to my regret. Richard Bong and the P-38 Lightning were my favorite pilot and airplane, respectively. There are only 10 airworthy P-38s left in the world. Were I a rich man, I would have one.
Grandfather flew B24s during the war. He was stationed in Texas. They came in and said all the pilots with last names starting in the first half of the alphabet were going to combat in Europe, the bottom half remained on base as instructor pilots. Grandfather’s last name was at the bottom of the alphabet, so he trained (mostly flying so machine gunners could practice on aerial targets). He said people were dying all the time at the base. Life expectancy was certainly better than the guys who got sent to fly missions over Europe, but deaths due to accident were a near daily occurrence. In one near-death experience, my grandfather was landing his plane as another plane took off right beneath him and its wing cut off nearly the entire tail section of his plane, but he still managed to safely land. The men in the other plane all died. There were some other stories but that one stood out. He went awol to marry my grandmother and had to drive back to base in a rare Texas snowstorm (didn’t get in trouble). Throughout the rest of his life, he owned and flew single engine planes. He once had an engine failure in his Mooney and had to crash land in a corn field, making the local newspaper. He built his entire farm and house with his own two hands. Not a “hero” in our nation’s lore, but he was my hero and role model. The men of this time were giants.
I am an 80 year old widow, and in tears right now! My heart goes out to Marge Bong, who waited so faithfully, only to have her husband die so soon after their wedding. Major Bong was a true American hero.
Your grandpa was a G bro
P-38 my favorite plane in history. Several times in the European theater the pilots would exhaust their ammunition and continue to pick BF-109s out of the sky by playing chicken, and not flinching. The only airplane in history to officially win a game of chicken every time.
"We can't risk losing our best pilot, let's have him test fly a prototype super fast jet plane"
ikr?
man's death also got overshadowed by Hiroshima coincidentally
That was a terrible idea...
They just couldn't allow a guy named Dick Bong to be the hero. That wasnt gonna work.
To be fair he was a fucking NUTTY pilot so they probably reasoned he would be able to safely handle anything except a spontaneous explosion. And to be fair, they were right, he could have bailed. I'd argue he could maybe have ejected earlier after aiming the plane, but he was concerned with ENSURING everyones safety not just trying to
Rewatching this, i still can't help but want a full video of the rabbit hole that researching Skunkworks can be
The only thing I take exception to with this video is the labeling of Bong not "padding his stats" by giving planes he'd shot-down to the other pilots flying with him.
Padding your stats implies tallying easy notches like the old "Christmas Noob Harvest" in CoD where a bunch of new kids got the game for Christmas, being easy pickings when they jumped into a game that other players had been demolishing for months.
Bong was giving-away LEGITIMATE KILLS; he'd worked for those kills, earned them and still said "nah, I'll let the homies have this one." He's like the smoothest, best-looking guy of the friend group out at the bar turning-down women who're throwing themselves at him and, instead, setting up his boys.
He's padding THEIR stats.
Maj Bong "handing off" his kills is almost identical to what Col Robin Olds was doing in Vietnam once he got to 4 kills. He knew it would build the morale for his wingmen, and it would keep him from being sent home too soon.
Ironically, Robin Olds was a P-38 pilot in WWII, in the MTO.
Dick Bong.
Man, that's a perfect name to make your high school teachers go completely insane. It's too good.
@@Dragon_Werks yes he was! And he famously had one of his kills during a "glider" incident where dropped his external tanks and forgot to switch to internal tanks, so he lost engine power still was able to maneuver to score the hits.
Awesome narrating! The only downside I find in your work is, every awesome content has to come to an end. If there was a medal for awesome narrating and re-living the past, you Sir deserve it. I am bestowing you the medal of honor for best WWII history content. I felt, I was there with Bong with your narrating. My grand father is a filipino war hero and fought the Japanese occupation. Your content is amazing. I wish it never ends. I wish you the best and keep the next generation aware of the sacrifices our forefathers had to make, so they can enjoy what they have today. From a filipino Canadian, Thank you.
You are one hell of a story teller,for sure ‼️🇺🇸
I wish I had my Uncle Russ’s whole story from his time in the battle of the Bulge. He to was a humble farm boy,from South Jersey. He was a corporal in the army, Corps of engineers and several metals and field promotion to Sgt in the battle of the Bulge. 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
"Jimmy! Grab that fighter plane, bring it over here and king me!" Brilliant. I could listen to this stuff all day.
Don't ever apologize for making a long video. I was watching the whole way through. You're not only a gifted storyteller but an effective teacher, and talking about things you're passionate about makes it all the better.
Here here!!! I FULLY agree!!!!
Random P38 Pilot: Planemaster, they outnumbered us 3 to 1.
Richard Bong: Then it's an even fight.
Planemaster 😂
I cracked my knuckles when I heard those numbers.
*"I like those odds"*
I know the quote, but those weren't good odds...for the Zeros. They never stood a chance.
Went to England December 1978. I was 16. Loved the fact that I could smoke and have a pint in the movie theater which was gorgeous. Real fish and chips and the historical sights. English pop culture is great. From Monty Python to the Beatles to Shakespeare. I know some difficulties are occurring now, but I have faith in your English determination to get through it and right the ship! Going through similar things here in US. Catch ya on the flip side!
General Kenny has basically the disappointed but at the same time proud father energy because he knew that Bong is one of if not the most modest, humble, and greatest fighter pilot of all time. If there was a mount rushmore/ hall of fame for greatest fighter pilot/military personnel, he would be on it.
Him, Roy Benevidez, Willis “Ching” Lee, and a few others who’s names I can’t think of
I cheered when he finally got home and married Marge. I was praying for a 70+ year marriage. Instead, my heart is aching for all his loved ones, especially Marge. 😢😢 That was a real bummer. Salute to you, Maj. Bong! Thank you for your incredible service to our nation. RIP, Sir.
"It's too dangerous for our hero to keep flying combat missions. Let's put him in brand new planes to test them." Ya, that makes tons of sense.
@@ronjones-6977 He left the military and went to work for a private contractor. Lockheed Martin, I believe it said.
This video may have been longer than your previous accounts of America's greatest legends, but deserving of every second of work you put into it.
I am fifty years old and never knew this man existed. Which is fucking tragic, if not borderline criminal. Thank you for righting that wrong and reintroducing MOH recipient Bong to the people again.
You are one of the best storytellers! I'm not much interested in military things...BUT I can't stop watching your videos. This one is so exciting...and the one on Jack Lucas was even better. Thanx, Beth
My cousin buzzed our great grandmother’s farm. Nocking off the ball turret on one of the big oaks in the yard. She was so pissed off she was writing Roosevelt until she found out it was him. Then she was mad at him cause he could have killed him self. The rest of the family thought it was hilarious.
Great job on telling this story!