Medal of Honor: Richard I. Bong – World War II (Air Mission) – October 10 to November 15, 1944

Name: Richard Ira Bong
Rank: Major
Organization: U.S. Army Air Corps
Unit: Fifth Air Force, Southwest Pacific Area
Place and Date: Over Borneo and Leyte – 10 October to 15 November 1944
Entered Service At: Poplar, Wisconsin
Born: September 24, 1920 – Poplar, Wisconsin
Departed: Killed in service, August 6, 1945 (test flight accident)
Accredited to: Wisconsin

---

Summary of Action

By late 1944, Major Richard I. Bong was already a legend — America’s leading fighter ace, flying the twin-engine P-38 Lightning with unmatched skill. Officially assigned as a gunnery instructor and no longer required to fly combat, Bong refused to sit on the sidelines while the war pressed on.

Between October 10 and November 15, 1944, he repeatedly volunteered for frontline missions in the Southwest Pacific, flying dangerous sorties over Borneo and the invasion battles around Leyte Gulf. These operations involved deep penetrations into heavily defended Japanese airspace, where fighters, flak, and treacherous weather claimed aircraft daily.

Despite the risks — and the fact that no one expected him to fly — Bong took to the skies again and again. In those five weeks, his unmatched aggression and precision netted eight more confirmed aerial victories, pushing his tally to 40 — the highest in U.S. history.

It was not just his skill but his willingness to step back into combat, entirely by choice, that set Bong apart. His actions were a final, stunning chapter in a combat career defined by fearless flying and absolute devotion to duty.

---

Medal of Honor Citation

Rank and organization: Major, U.S. Army Air Corps.

Entered service at: Poplar, Wis.

G.O. No.: 90, 8 December 1944.

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action above and beyond the call of duty in the Southwest Pacific area from 10 October to 15 November 1944. Though assigned to duty as gunnery instructor and neither required nor expected to perform combat duty, Maj. Bong voluntarily and at his own urgent request engaged in repeated combat missions, including unusually hazardous sorties over Balikpapan, Borneo, and in the Leyte area of the Philippines. His aggressiveness and daring resulted in his shooting down 8 enemy airplanes during this period.