Richard I. Bong
Third Tour of Duty, September 1944–December 1944

During September 1944, Bong began his third tour of duty in the South West Pacific Area (SWPA). He remained assigned to 5th Fighter Command (V FTR) as a gunnery training officer. Although not required to fly combat missions, he voluntarily flew 30 combat missions over Borneo and the Philippines. Bong flew several P-38J Lightnings until assigned P-38L Lightning 44-23964 that was painted with his scoreboard but had no nickname or nose art.


On October 10, 1944 at 7:15am took off from Morotai piloting P-38L Lightning 44-23964 on a fighter sweep and escort for B-24 Liberators over Balikpapan on southeast Borneo. Arriving over the target area 2 hours and 30 minutes later, spotted a twin engine plane that was deemed to be either a Irving or Sally at a lower altitude and dove down firing as the plane turned but caught fire and rolled over with the pilot bailing out before it crashed into the sea roughly a mile off Manggar Airfield. In fact, Bong shot down J1N1 Irving pilot Lt Ozaki.

Next, he fired on a Zero with a 40° deflection shot head on but missed. Afterwards, Bong got on the tail of an Oscar and closed to 100 yards and fired with 5°  deflection causing the fighter to explode and went down in flames roughly four miles off Manggar. Bong claimed two victories, his twenty-nine and thirty aerial victory claims.

On October 27, 1944 took off piloting a P-38J Lightning and claimed an aerial victory, his thirty-first aerial victory.

On October 28, 1944 took off piloting a P-38J Lightning and claimed two victories, his thirty-second and thirty-third victories.

On November 10, 1944 took off from Tacloban Airfield on Leyte piloting P-38L Lightning 44-23964 on a mission claimed a victory, his thirty-fourth victory.

On November 11, 1944 took off from Tacloban Airfield on Leyte piloting P-38L Lightning 44-23964 on a mission claimed two victories, his thirty-fifth and thirty-sixth victories.

On December 12, 1944 during a short ceremony at Tacloban Airfield on Leyte Bong was bestowed the Medal of Honor by General Douglas MacArthur. During the presentation, he tossed away his written remarks and said, "Major Richard Ira Bong, who has ruled the air from New Guinea to the Philippines, I now induct you into the society of the bravest of the brave, the wearers of the Congressional Medal of Honor of the United States." Postwar, Bong's Medal of Honor was displayed at the Memorial Room in Poplar, WI. Today, displayed at the Richard I. Bong Heritage Center.

On December 7, 1944 after 2:00pm took off piloting a P-38L Lightning as no. 3 element leader in "Daddy Green Flight" with no. 4 wingman 1st Lt. Floyd H. Fulkerson, Jr. on a mission over Ormoc Bay. At 3:05pm Bong was the first spot the enemy, what he claimed was a Sally bomber and gave chase and shot it down off the northeast tip of Bohol. Returning to Ormoc Bay, Bong made a head on pass against a damaged Ki-44 Tojo that crashed in the sea. Afterwards, rejoined formation and a controller vectored "Daddy Green Flight" over a damaged destroyer with a single Oscar harassing, but the plane was shot down by "Daddy White Flight" led by Champlin before they arrived.

Bong was credited with two aerial victories his thirty-seventh and thirty-eighth victory claims.

On December 15, 1944 took off piloting a P-38L Lightning and claimed an aerial victory, his thirty-ninth victory.

On December 17, 1944 took off piloting a P-38L Lightning leading "Daddy Flight" with wingman Major Jack B. Rittmayer on a fighter sweep over Mindoro. Over the target, they intercepted a pair of Oscars. Bong claimed one Oscar shot down, his fortieth aerial claim.

On December 20, 1944 took off piloting P-38L Lightning on an escort mission over Mindoro and returns without incident. This was his last combat mission in the South West Pacific Area (SWPA).

On December 27, 1944 Bong was relieved of combat duty to return to the United States. On December 28, 1944 Bong boards a C-54 Skymaster from Air Transport Command (ATC) as a passenger on a special flight across the Pacific and three days later arrives in San Francisco.

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