Family celebrates as plane of World War II pilot Richard Bong discovered
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 12 ก.ย. 2024
- He was the country’s top fighter pilot and he came from the Twin Ports. What happened to his plane has remained a mystery since World War II. But now, that major mystery is solved, and a surviving family member in Superior is celebrating. John Lauritsen shows us how they cracked the decades-old case.
My father Howard Oglesby flew with Richard Bong in the 49th Fighter Group, 9th Fighter Squadron, and he recalled how the image of Marge was added to his P-38. It was not painted on the plane. The 49th FG photo lab worked on the P-38 at night, they added a photo sensitive wash to the nose, then exposed it to a negative with an enlarger in a horizontal mount. Once that was done they applied developer, and a fixer in the dark, treating the aluminum nose as a huge photographic plate to produce the image of Marge.
Unfortunately, my father who only had 4 kills to Bong's 40 died on Christmas eve at 100 after a long life well lived.
Would you say the photographic process was similar to that used on some fighter jets today, such as the MiG-29s which until recently were part of Poland's inventory? They showed portraits of Polish fighter pilots from the Battle of Britain.
@@bolinfan1519 I am not familiar with those Polish MIG-29s, but I am sure that a similar technique was used. However, the reason the Bong P-38 nose art was particularly special, was that the work was done in the open in the harsh tropical conditions of New Guinea, not in the shelter of a European hanger.
"Only" 4 kills? Your Dad was a skilled pilot that survived the war. Most pilots had zero kills. Your Dad was an American Hero.
@@jbb9643 More than that he was my personal hero. Now that he is gone I am left with his medals, a Silver Star, DFC, Air Medal + 5 OLC Pacific Campaign Medal + 5 Battle Stars, and memories.
He had two tours with the 9th FS and at the end he flew escort for the Japanese surrender envoy "Betty" bombers, and was a member of the 8 plane MacArthur Honor Flight into Japan 3 days before the surrender on the USS Missouri.
Salute to your father! I’d love to have heard him recount his flying experiences!
My late father Herb, along with 3 of his brothers were in the AIF, Australian Imperial Forces in New Guinea during WW2. Dad was in the heavy anti aircraft unit & served alongside a large number of US servicemen, including your flyboys! Dad had nothing but praise & spoke very highly of our allies! “Lest We Forget”. 🇦🇺🤝🇺🇸
*Bong is the highest scoring American Ace of ALL TIME. Period!*
In the U.S., but not the world...that title belongs to Erich Hartmann of the German Luftwaffe.
No one is really sure of just what Bong's total score was. Apparently he pretty much had a hunting license. He would land with his ammo pretty much expended but no claims made. If they were not verified by gun camera footage or other pilots they were not claimed.
But his score was nowhere near Hartmann's. Probably not near Richtoffen either
@@mpetersen6 40 confirmed kills for Bong. You can’t compare the Germans’ higher scores - they had more time in the war, often against much weaker air forces.
@@chpman2013thus they said American duh
The 352 kills of top surviving Luftwaffe pilot Erich Hartmann shows what our WW2 flyers had to face experience wise. Only seven were American planes however, the rest were Soviet Union planes.
As an Aussie, I first learned of Richard Bong when looking at a stack of old 'Victory' magazines from late ww2. There was an article in one that was all about him and his active wartime service. A remarkable man.
Seriously? Not one decent picture of the crash site?
"Many WWII historians regard...". What kind of left-handed B.S. is that? Richard Bong is still the highest scoring fighter pilot in United States history. With 40 air-to-air victories, there is no question, whatsoever, that Richard Bong IS America's top ace.
So called journalist who can’t get the facts straight.
@@tomh6183 for sure......they report what they read NOT what they know
I’ve driven over the Richard I. Bong Bridge 100 times but never knew his story
Most Americans are ignorant of their own history - get in line. Everything is about multiculturalism nowadays in US schools.
You mean the cannibals didn’t eat it, like Uncle Bosie.
Missing from this report is that Bong was the leading American fighter ace of WWII.
The news guy added the leading American fighter ace of WWII at 2:00.
@ronaldlindeman6136 You must be suffering from auditory hallucinations:
Bong's sister, 1:54 - 2:01: It's great to know it's been found. We saw pictures of it so we know it's the right one. It's great to know it's been discovered.
Reporter, 2:01 - 2:05: In Superior, Wisconsin, John Lordson, WCCO news.
Time to retire the pipe, Sparky.
@@michaeldavid6284 It's perhaps a shame you didn't listen 2 seconds longer. At 02:07 "Many WW II historians regard Richard Bong as America's top ace". I noticed it particularly since the reporter had to be wishy-washy and add the useless "many" to the statement. I suppose there are some WW II "historians" that don't "regard" him as the top ace, but they probably deny that WW II ever happened.
@@lwiltonHe was and is the American Ace of Aces.Also a Medal of Honor recipient.Buried in his hometown of Poplar,Wisconsin.
@@michaeldavid6284 and he still got 55 upvotes lol
That was not a _painting_ of *"Marge"* displayed on the nose of *Bongs P-38.* It was an actual photograph of her he carried in his wallet that he had the boys over in *"Reconnasaince"* enlarge for him. Clear lacquer was sprayed down 1st. Then the actual enlarged photograph was saturated in clear lacquer and rolled out on the surface. Then more clear lacquer was sprayed over top and... *Wha-La.* All it took then was for a sign painter to add that glorious name. The 1 _Ray Croc_ described in *"The Founder"* Movie.
I think it only lasted about three missions then they had to do it again.
Richard Bongs death had a young eyewitness named William G. Whetstone, that saw him being dragged behind the test craft by his parachute lines just before the jet stuck pole mounted electrical power cables and crashed . Apparently his parachute became entangled when engine failure made him have to bail. The early jet prototypes had no ejection seat and exiting the jet aircraft was not without problems. This action was reported by Mr. Whetstone in the editors mailbag section of the May . 2022 issue of AVIATION HISTORY magazine.
I grew up reading about Richard Bong, he was a true American hero. And sadly while testing the P-80 Shooting Star he lost his life. In the P-38 Lightning he was a deadly and highly skilled fighter pilot. RIP warrior you are and always will be a hero.
@@skyflyer4231 yes that was sad. As a young man I did alot of research on the P-38 Lightning which led me to learning about Mr. Bong and alot of other pilots who did some amazing things defending freedom. I was a ground pounder in the army but being in a fighter dogfighting had to be a pucker factor experience. Salute from a soldier.
@@Michael-o1l8cAnd thank you for your service
The title shows that today's journalists won't mention American exceptionalism. Or they just haven't done a minimal basic level of research to see that Richard Bong WAS INDEED the United States' top fighter ace. Not just a claim made by historians. Bond WAS AMERICA'S TOP ACE. "Journaist" hacks.
IS! Not WAS
Slow it down with the fake outrage. Not everyone is a military history nerd. Did they get the story right? Yes. That is what counts. Him being the all time ace has no bearing on the story. He wasn't flying the aircraft when it went down. It's just a good story.
@@justsnappy No, "was" is correct cos he is deceased.
@@arkie14 IS, is correct because he stands as the highest scoring ace. For example: Who is the US Ace of aces?
@@justsnappyRichard Bong.
It might have been Richard Bong's plane, but he wasn't the pilot when it went down. Also, they pulled him out of the war because they didn't want the greatest America ace to get killed in action. He would come home to Poplar WI and Superior and fly his plane at tree top level and do loop de loops as all the town came out on the street and watched him fly. He was a hero!
no pictures of the wreck?
That is the work of those who did it to reveal - why give it to the leeches in the news?
He got 40. MacGuire got 38. No pics?
Ace of aces. Legend.
You guys claiming it was misleading apparently skipped forward or didn't have your volume up. At 0.44 it specifically states Thomas was the pilot that day and even survived and bailed out and then at the end they even stated Bong died back in the states. Some of yall just like to complain.
The title says "Family celebrates as plane of World War II pilot Richard Bong discovered" what did you expect the majority of people would think? People do complain about silly things.. Like we have Pro vaxxers-Big Pharma acolytes complaining Peer Review studies by reputable sources showing the covid vaxx is dangerous are just complaining.. Truth and complaints are different.
I too found that confusing and incomplete. Did Bong survive the crash? Or was he never in the plane and the story is just about finding the P38 (Marge) itself?
@@monteque683 The story is about finding "his" plane. Bong died in a crash testing the new P-80 Jet fighter in 1945, ironically on the same day that Hiroshima was hit by the first nuclear bomb ever used in combat.
The reason why I say "his" with quotation marks is that even though he flew it most of the time (I'd assume), whenever a plane was "up" (ie ready to fly a mission) anyone who was scheduled on that particular mission would fly it (if Bong wasn't scheduled himself on that particular mission) . It's the same today, even though an aircraft might have a certain pilot's name on it, it's not exclusively flown by that pilot (there are usually always more pilots in a squadron than aircraft).
@@monteque683he was no longer flying combat by then. He was back in the states by then. He was killed in Burbank CA in August of 45 flight testing the P80, the first US jet.
An EXCELLENT book about this plane is The P 38, Forked Tail Devil, by Martin Caidin......
This nickname was invented, actually.
@@PauloPereira-jj4jv By the Germans--Der Gabelschwanze Teufel.
I own a copy.
I have it too. Lots of errors.
His P-80 shooting Star, the jet he was flying/testing the day he died, crashed just south of the Burbank Bob Hope Airport, near Cahuenga Blvd. and Oxnard Street. He died the day the first atom bomb was dropped on Japan.
It's really sad how many guys survived the fighting, only to come home and die from testing planes, training, or teaching new pilots
We lost more airplanes to accidents here in the states than in combat.
Yes it truly is.Sometimes from more common causes like motor vehicle accidents.
Creepy fact: Bong died in a test flight on the *SAME* day Hiroshima got nuked
@stephenp8086 true. Planes were really still in their infancy during ww2. So that caused alot of issues
@@glorygracek.1841 No they weren't.
"...most of it's engines were buried in the dirt..." Uh, it only has two engines... Reporters with elementary school level writing capability... SMH.
The reporter said "....most of it's engineS were buried in the dirt...'. It was PLURAL. The way it was phrased means most of what WERE the engines were buried in the soil the aircraft crashed in to.
@@marypasco2213 No. Just amateurish reporting with clumsy English.
@ffjsb Where did you go to school? You obviously didn't graduate. ONE is an engine, TWO OR MORE qualifies as plural: ENGINES. Nothing wrong with the writing, Sparky, but you haven't passed 3rd grade grammar comprehension.
Most ot 2 is still 2
@@michaelarmbruster586 Which is why it makes ZERO SENSE to phrase it that way....
He wasn’t considered The United States top ace, he was the top ace.
Bong is a legend, but he's not the top ace outside of The United States. Thom Pattle (South Africa, RAF) and A few Soviet aces shot down more planes than Bong. Also many Axis aces shot down more planes than him. It doesn't diminish Bong's achievements at all.
@@anonymous8780 He is what he is, the highest scoring American Ace. It's a big deal.
@@karlheinzvonkroemann2217 Did you see the comment I replied to? That is why I pointed out he's not the top ace outside of America.
He was our top ace, but not top ace of all time. Germany had several pilots with over a hundred kills, with their top two being Erich Hartmann and Gerhard Barkhorn (352 and 301).
@@anonymous8780 I think what the OP was referring to, and which also annoyed me, was the reporter stating that *Many people **_consider_* rather than saying either *is* or *was* . The story correctly said "America's top ace". But it refused to say *is* , just "gosh, some people think, but personally *I* would never dare make an authoratative statement about that."
At 0.52, there are the words "he bailed out and survived" - inferring it was Bong himself flying. But the Wikipedia article claims "In March another pilot was flying Bong's aircraft when it suffered engine failure and crashed in New Guinea, after the pilot, who survived, had bailed out." As Stanley Pickle commented below.
I'm really surprised they found it. The New Guinea jungle is no joke and the terrain is very mountainous.
The title can be misleading as Bong died in 1945 in California during a test flight of jet fighter; obviously the P38 used by Bong was used by another pilot when it crashed.
It is accidentally a relevant title. Bong's P-38, "Marge," is iconic. But I am not sure the people producing this story understand that fact.
That's exactly what they say in the video, try watching it.
@@dukecraig2402 Relax.
That’s awesome to hear. Bong is such a legendary aviator who shot down 40 aircrafts in the Pacific, becoming America’s Ace of Aces.
Check out "Race of Aces" by John R. Bruning for an excellent history of the top fighter aces in the Pacific theater. The book covers the unintended consequences of pushing Bong and others to break Eddie Rickenbacker's WW I record, and continue to push their personal limits to be the top ace of WW II. Bong, and other aces are detailed in this fascinating WW II air war history.
That’s brought back some memories, nothing compared to his sister bless her!
I remember reading a boys mag in the 70’s about Richard Bong.
He’d witnessed a Japanese pilot who’d bailed out of a burning aircraft land nearby, minus a parachute.
His record was exemplary and humbling, still proud that his sister is still with us. 🇺🇸
Neither Richard Bong nor Thomas McGuire survived the war. Both flew P-38s. McGuire - 38 kills- stalled his Lightning at very low level while being jumped by a Japanese Oscar, over Los Negros, Philipines. He had no time to drop his tanks, pulled a very tight turn and the load factor was far too excessive; he stalled and crashed into the tree tops. The Japanese KI-43 shot down one more Lightning of his flight of four before disappearing. By then, Bong had been retired from active service to ensure that he would survive the war with his 40 kills, but he ended up crashing just after take off with a P-80 when the fuel pump failed. He failed to switch on the emergency fuel pump and there was no ejection seat.
By all accounts, Bong was an unbearable character, extremely cocky and arrogant. A true Fighter Pilot! According to Pierre Clostermann, Douglas Bader and Beurling were even worse... 😐
My dad was in New Guinea at that time. The P-38,'s were a huge morale booster, as the previous P-39's were very poor in detering Japanese high altitude bombing of Allied positions. The P-38 changed that. As my dad stated more than once:
" When the P-38 arrived at our airdrome, morale went through the roof". As they knew they could actually fight back.
This piece is misleading. Bong didn’t die in that crash. It was his old plane that was found, which was flown by another pilot. Bong died in a crash in California testing the P-80 jet fighter. That was August 6th, 1945 (the day of the Hiroshima atomic bombing).
Near the end of the video they said it wasn’t bong who died in the Marge p38. They also said he died as a test pilot later. Not sure if you watched until the end or what.
Suggest you watch the video again. This time a bit more carefully.
Watch the video first.
My favorite part of the story was where they showed us photos of the plane 🙃
Is that it? No pictures of the plane's remains? Disgusting!!
Get to the Bong Museum--Awesome!!
Superior, Wi, Hwy 53 right next to the Perkins.
Bless your Dad, he rest in eternal peace 🇺🇸🙏
Not a painting...it's an actual photograph.
Wow, great story. His sister seems to be healthy!
Pictures of the find. But still a good story and hard work and the objective was completed
Bong family, relatives, still live in Sweden not too far from where I used to live....
No doubt Ron Cole will be all over this historic find!
I read years ago that Bong's wife Marge would never fly in a plane unless her husband was the pilot. Remarkable man.
Correction, Richard Bong IS America's undesputed top ace! There is nobody, pilot or civilian, claiming otherwise!!!
Richard Bong's death was during testing of the P-80 Shooting Star, where he ejected at too low of an altitude after a fuel pump failure. It occured the same day as the first atomic bomb drop on Hiroshima.
It's a sad truth that his dedicated forest researve in Bristol, Wisconsin has become a hive for deadbeat college kids living out of their cars in the camping grounds..
At Wright-Patterson AFB Bong Street leads to the museum parking lot.
Good luck getting it from there. Took years and millions to get "Swamp Ghost" a B-17 from there.
There likely left but scrap the engines being the bulk
Hero, and great story.
Bring her home. God bless the men and women who’ve made the ultimate sacrifice to protect our freedom. Bring them all home.
Bong was more than an "Ace pilot". He set the foundation for today's fighter jet tactics and training
That subject line is clueless. Bong was America's ACE OF ACES. 40 kills. It should read: "Family celebrates as plane of America's greatest fighter pilot discovered."
I belong to the Bong Eagles free flight model airplane club here in Wisconsin.
Keep it going,respect to you and your work
Surely the aircraft wasn't the only plane that Bong flew during the war was it?
Was Jim Crow Joe Biden's uncle Bosey on that mission 😂
So cool, too bad a piece of the nose art could not be salvaged. Prob completely disentegrated upon impact. Lucky Maj Bong was not in that plane that day, and thankful the pulot who was was able to bail out. Great story!
Whoa!
My father saw Richard bong take on 25 Japanese planes by himself but where was his second plane everybody claimed to be his second plane but dad saw he was by himself and he saw the Japanese planes give it back to him and then 3 Japanese planes blowing smoke
Dude, where's my airplane?
40 victories in the Pacific and he died in the U.S. during a routine test flight....
Not much routine about testing the new P80 Shooting Star. Bong may have forgotten to turn on a newly installed auxiliary fuel pump, and when the main pump failed on takeoff he lost the P80's single engine.
Uhhh… didn’t Bong die in an early jet crash and not a P38? I think this video is confusing Bong with finding his old P38
No, the video talks about his plane. If you watch the ending you will listen to them saying he was not in his plane... Bong died flying a P -80 in US, the day they dropped the bomb on Hiroshima. The video explains that IN THE END.
@@PauloPereira-jj4jv You have to admit that the news report was written in a confusing manner, made more so by the poor delivery.
@@PauloPereira-jj4jv NS, that's what I was getting at. Looks like they corrected the title to properly represent the video finally.
recenlty read Aces, about the top pacific US aces. Most were killed, and after the war, their widows remarried, and virtually all of their second marriages failed. HC,
That would be "Race of Aces" by John R. Bruning.
Over 80% of ALL 2nd marriages fail... Look it up
bong sevived the war , he died flying a f 80 jet.
Well yes and no: he survived his combat duty, yes, but died in a crash just before Japan surrendered, so did not actually survive the war.
History Richard Bong Season
While I am happy that "Marge" was found, I couldn't help but be dumbstruck at how mentally alert Bong's NINETY-NINE year-old sister is when you compare her to our senile and corrupt President whose name it sickens me to pronounce.
On another note, I grew up as an aviation geek in Van Nuys, California in the 1970s-1980s and often rode my bicycle and later as a teenager drove my car all around the San Fernando Valley but was clueless as to the P-80 crash even though I was in Civil Air Patrol and consumed all things aviation-related. I guess you can read a lot of books but not all of them....
I was very happy the day I discovered my bong.
Imagine, losing your bong for eighty years... 😂😂😂😂😂
...wodner if they found the remains on Uncle Boosie...
👍👍💪🙏
COOL ! Some descent news for a change.
Yes, the U.S. is being intentionally destroyed by its government but we found ol' "Marge".
Aren't there . . cannibals . . in New Guinea?
Sure just ask the mope in the white house.
@@tomh6183, while I don't disagree, this story is NOT the place for that. Lots of other stories where political stuff is quite appropriate.
Is this G or J?
J. Says it on the plane in the video at the 1:37 mark.
Probably devoured by cannibals.
Cannibals in California? Who is buried in his casket?
@@danielebrparish4271He's being snide about something Biden said (which of course is completely irrelevant, but y'all love looking smart by being obtuse...)
Even CBS tell the truth from time to time
😊
I just did several Bong hits , to help celebrate 🎉
Disgusting comment.😡
Worst reporting ever! Everything lead us to think this was about Bong. The whole video was about his plane! Then at the end it was revealed that it was only Bong's plane that was found, not Bong. He died later in the states doing a test flight!
Check the title again.
If you knew ANY history about WWII pilots you would have known this before you read the title to this story... Tommy McGuire is #2 with 38 kills... McGuire AFB is named after him....
@@ricksmith4736 Ok boomer.
Wokeasota hasn't had much to hoop and holler about lately.
This isn't a story that needs the addition of childish political leanings. It's about history. Let's appreciate that and leave it there.
@@jamesevans9007
And it doesn't even involve Wokeasota even.
@@jamesevans9007 I know in your world a person should be completely tolerant no matter what and because of that kind of thinking the state is becoming as bad as California. Now run along and go help build the latest George Floyd monument.
Bong was from Wisconsin, stable genius...cripes, I'm not even American and I know that...
gotta admit. there is a reason why dope bongs are named after him. ol pothead!
The news channel went to the trouble of putting this story together and never thought to show some photos of the wreck?...Why bother?...Just sayin'!
VERY cool. Now maybe they can find Brandons mystery uncle...
You mean to tell me that the Native on New Guinea didn't eat that Pilot like Uncle Bossy!?!