US Army Air Forces MAJ Richard Bong: WWII Medal of Honor Recipient Major Richard Bong, the most decorated American fighter pilot of World War II, wasn’t even required to fly combat missions when he earned the Medal of Honor. Between October 10 and November 15, 1944, Bong—assigned as a gunnery instructor—voluntarily requested to fly combat sorties in the Southwest Pacific, despite having already reached ace status and not being obligated to continue fighting. Flying missions over the heavily defe

Major Richard Bong was awarded the Medal of Honor by General Douglas MacArthur in a ceremony at Tacloban Airfield, Leyte, in the Philippines in 1944. Bong, already a national hero and the highest-scoring American fighter ace, received the nation’s highest military honor for his extraordinary achievements in aerial combat during the Pacific campaign. By this time, Bong had amassed an incredible 40 confirmed kills in his P-38 Lightning, a feat achieved through unmatched skill, bravery, and relentl