Happy Memorial Day
America's Ace of Aces
Author: General George C. Kenney
Major Richard Ira Bong was born in Poplar, Wisconsin.
He was among 50 handpicked P-38 fighter pilots to assist American forces in Australia and New Guinea during WW2.
"My introduction to Dick Bong took place in July 1942 at my headquarters in San Francisco, where I was commanding the Fourth Air Force. The circumstances were a bit unusual, to say the least." General George C. Kenney
So begins General George C. Kenney's personal story of America's Ace of Aces.
It is the story of our country's greatest fighter pilot, from an inauspicious beginning~while training, he was nearly court - martialed for flying under the Golden Gate Bridge in his P-38 Lightning plane~to his bravery and feats of heroism that ultimately earned him the title "Ace of Aces." When he died on August 6, 1945, while test-piloting the Air Force's first jet fighter, Major Dick Bong was just 24 years old.
To All Those Who Fought and Died, Worked and Waited...
...To Maintain Our Freedoms
A hero indeed. I have read about him previously....
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like the perfect book for Memorial Day!
ReplyDeleteWhile we don't have a Memorial day here in Canada, we do have Remembrance day...it's good to be thankful, and remember their sacrifice.
ReplyDeleteJen
I never knew what Memorial was for (I'm Canadian), thanks for the insight.
ReplyDeleteWe are forever grateful.
ReplyDeleteThe perfect read for Memorial Day!
ReplyDeleteI like that nickname and book title: Ace of Aces, and how sad he died so young. We need to treasure our heroes.
ReplyDelete