Major Richard Ira Bong

Not many people etch their names in history, but Richard Ira Bong had been one such military personnel who gave his all for his country and made sure that history remembers him forever. He was one of the most decorated fighter pilots who fought for the United States in World War II.

America’s top flying ace at that time shot down 40 Japanese aircraft with the now-iconic Lockheed P-38 Lightning fighter. Just before the second world war was about to end, Bong was busy examining a Lockheed P-80 jet fighter.

During takeoff, the primary fuel pump of the plane malfunctioned. Bong tried to get away from the plane, but it was too low and he couldn’t deploy his parachute. His death coincided with the atomic bombing of Japan’s Hiroshima. A member of the National Aviation Hall of Famer is still revered today.