Ace of Aces

Ace of Aces: The Story of Fighter Pilot Dick Bong was first published in 1960, and recounts the exploits of Major Richard "Dick" Bong at the helm of his P-38 Lightning. Bong received the Medal of Honor for his achievement of downing 40 enemy Japanese planes in the southwestern Pacific theater, and he became a household name in America. His tally made him the highest-scoring American ace of all time, a record unlikely to ever be broken. Sadly, Bong died at the young age of 24 on August 6, 1945, in a flight accident during testing of the P-80 Shooting Star fighter. In Ace of Aces, his former commanding officer General George C. Kenney, recounts Bong's life: from his early days in Wisconsin, his sweetheart Marge, his aerial exploits and Kenney's own personal anecdotes. Illustrated with black and white photographs.