Richard I. Bong
Service in the United States

On December 31, 1944 Bong was a passenger aboard a C-54 that landed in San Francisco. During January 1945 he traveled to Washington D.C. and was photographed wearing his Medal of Honor in front of a world map.

On February 9, 1945 Bong was in Superior, Wisconsin for a rehearsal at Corcordia Lutheran Church where he was to be married the next day but the rehearsal was delayed awaiting the arrival of TSgt Lowell S. Vattendahl (Marjorie's brother). That afternoon, the couple attended a reception at Superior Teacher College where they first met as students. President R. C. Williams presented the couple with two pieces of silver in their pattern as a gift to the couple.

On February 10, 1945 at 7:00pm Bong married Marjorie "Marge" Ann Vattendahl at Corcordia Lutheran Church in Superior, Wisconsin. The wedding was officiated by Reverend Paul A. Boe. The best man at the wedding was Captain Walter M. Markey who knew Bong since May 1942 flew overseas together to the South West Pacific and was a fellow pilot in the 9th Fighter Squadron (9th FS) until November 1943. Bong had two attendants, TSgt Lowell S. Vattendahl (Marjorie's brother) and SSgt Edward Edgette a hometown friend. At 8:00pm the newly wed couple appeared on a national radio broadcast. Afterwards, the couple returned to California and had their honeymoon in Sequoia National Park. Afterwards, Bong reported to Santa Monica processing center.

On February 23, 1945 at Burbank Airport, Bong and Marge were photographed with P-38L Lightning 44-23982 with Marge seated piggy-back in the cockpit. Aftterwards, she was issued a certificate as a member of the "acrobatic order of P-38 piggy-backs in a Lockheed Lightning".

During April 1945 assigned to ATSC Engineering & Procurement Division, Flight Section at Wright Field in Dayton, Ohio and was briefed on technical aspects of the new P-80 Shooting Star jet fighter. At Wright Field, he logged time in Linked Trainer and flew the P-40 Warhawk, P-51B and P-51D Mustang, P-63A Kingcobra and P-38J and P-38L Lightnings, BT-13 and AT-6.

On April 16, 1945 took off from Wright Field piloting P-38J Lightning 42-67762 on a test flight to evaluate an experimental method of interconnecting the movement of the throttle and propeller control levers. Twenty-five minutes into the flight, "the right engine blew up before I had a chance [to conduct the test]". Bong managed to land safely at Wright Field.

In May 1945 he only made two flights, as a co-pilot aboard a B-17G Flying Fortress and as a passenger aboard a C-47B Skytrain.

In July 1945 Bong was assigned to Lockheed Aircraft Corporation factory in Burbank and the couple moved to California. Bong made acceptance flights for new P-38 Lightnings and P-80 Shooting Star jets. He also completed a training course at Muroc Lake Flight Test Base then returned to Burbank. In total, Bong made eleven jet flights for a total of 4 hour and 15 minutes.

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