The Lockheed P-38 Lightning Pilot With More Confirmed Aerial Victories Than Any Other American In World War II

The Lockheed P-38 Lightning pilot with more confirmed aerial victories than any other American in World War II refers to Major Richard Ira Bong, the U.S. Army Air Corps “Ace of Aces.” Before combat, Bong became known for buzzing Market Street in San Francisco during training, was officially reprimanded, and was redirected to the Pacific Theater rather than deployment to the United Kingdom. In the following two years, he achieved 40 victories against Japanese aircraft using the P-38’s performance and heavy armament with “boom and zoom” tactics. Bong was grounded in early 1945 for a new home-front tour, and General Douglas MacArthur awarded him the Congressional Medal of Honor. He was killed at age 24 on a test flight of the Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star. The article also notes that a replica of his P-38 “Marge” is preserved in Wisconsin.