In an expedition launched to find the wreckage of World War II ace Richard Bong's plane in the South Pacific, the Richard I. Bong Veterans Historical Center in Superior has teamed up with the nonprofit World War II historical preservation group Pacific Wrecks.
Richard Bong, a native of Poplar, is recognized for downing 40 Japanese aircraft during World War II, the highest number on record, as per the Air Force. Flying a Lockheed P-38 Lightning fighter plane named "Marge" in tribute to his girlfriend Marjorie Vattendahl, Bong adorned the plane's nose with a blow-up of Vattendahl's portrait, as detailed by Pacific Wrecks.
Vattendahl's obituary in 2003 recounted Bong's comment at the time that she "looks swell, and a hell of a lot better than these naked women painted on most of the airplanes."
The plane, piloted by Thomas Malone, experienced engine failure in March 1944 over what is now Papua New Guinea, leading to Malone parachuting out before the crash in the jungle.
Justin Taylan, the founder of Pacific Wrecks, is gearing up to lead an expedition to search for a missing plane. Taylan is set to depart for Papua New Guinea in May, with plans for the search to last nearly a month and require approximately $63,000 in funding sourced from donations.
In an interview with Minnesota Public Radio, Taylan expressed confidence in locating the wreckage due to historical records pinpointing an estimated crash site. However, he remains uncertain about the extent of the remains that will be identifiable as the missing aircraft, Marge.
"Hopefully we'll be able to find the ultimate proof, which will be a serial number from the airplane that says this airplane is Marge," Taylan remarked.
The missing aircraft is linked to Major Richard Ira Bong, an American pilot renowned for downing more enemy planes than any other pilot. Major Bong was honored with the Medal of Honor by Gen. Douglas MacArthur in 1944 for his exceptional bravery and combat achievements.
According to the Air Force Historical Support Division, Major Bong's Medal of Honor citation highlights his extraordinary courage and valor in the Southwest Pacific area during a specific period of intense combat.
Bong's legacy is one of bravery and service to his country. He was honored with the Distinguished Service Cross, two Silver Stars, seven Distinguished Flying Crosses, and 15 Air Medals during his time in the Air Force.
In 1945, Bong married Vattendahl, and after completing three combat tours in the South Pacific, he was stationed as a test pilot in Burbank, California. Tragically, on August 6, 1945, while testing a P-80 jet fighter, Bong lost his life in a crash.
His death coincided with the day the United States dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima.
At the time of Bong's passing, Vattendahl was only 21 years old. She later pursued a career as a model and magazine publisher in Los Angeles until her death in September 2003 in Superior.
The recent search for Bong's plane follows closely on the heels of a discovery by a deep-sea exploration team that claimed to have found a sonar image resembling Amelia Earhart's lost Lockheed 10-E Electra aircraft in the South Pacific.
