Richard Bong Photograph Collection

Richard Bong, from the small town of Poplar, Wisconsin, became a flying cadet in the US Army Air Corps, in time for America’s entry into World War II. Flying in a P-38 fighter plane, he shot down 40 confirmed enemy planes, more than any other American pilot, and became America’s all-time Ace of Aces. His many decorations for outstanding skills and extraordinary courage included the Congressional Medal of Honor.