MAJOR RICHARD IRA BONG MEMORIAL

Medal of Honor citation​:
Rank and organization: Major, United States Army Air Forces Place and date: Over Borneo and Leyte, October 10 to November 15, 1944Entered service at: Poplar, Wisconsin Birth: Poplar, Wisconsin G.O. No.: 90, December 8, 1944

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action above and beyond the call of duty in the Southwest Pacific area from October 10, to November 15, 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.

A NATIVE OF POPLAR, MAJOR BONG WAS CREDITED WITH DESTROYING 40 JAPANESE AIRCRAFT IN AERIAL COMBAT AND EARNED THE TITTLE OF “AMERICA’S ACE OF ACES” WHILE FLYING P-38S IN THE SOUTHWEST PACIFIC DURING WORLD WAR II