Richard I. Bong
Overseas to Australia, September 1942–November 1942

On May 29, 1941 at age 20, Bong enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps (USAAC) as an aviation cadet with serial number 16022192 at Wassau, Wisconsin. He was transported by train to Chicago then cross country to California. He attended elementary flight training at Rankin Aeronautical Academy at Rankin Field in Tulare, California. On June 20, 1941 he became part of the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) and completed training on August 16, 1941. Next, he attended Army Air Forces Basic Flying School at Gardner Field near Taft, California between August 19, 1941 to October 31, 1941. Then to Army Air Forces Advanced Flying School at Luke Field near Glendale, Arizona from November 4, 1941 until December 31, 1941. One of his instructors was Barry Goldwater who said of Bong "He was a very bright student… being such a natural pilot, it was just a certainty that he would wind up one of our top aces, which he did."

On January 9, 1942 he graduated Class 42-A earning his wings and was commission with the rank of 2nd Lieutenant with service number O-433784. Bong’s abilities came to the attention of Col. Ennis C. Whitehead, commandant of the Advance Flying School at Luke Field who retained him to be a flight instructor. One of his duties was flying as a stunt pilot at nearby Thunderbird Field for the film Thunder Birds: Soldiers of the Air flying a PT-17 number 231 and AT-6A Texan number 305 in the opening scenes of the movie.

In early May 1942 assigned to the 4th Air Force (4th AF), 14th Fighter Group (14th FG), 49th Fighter Squadron (49th FS) at Hamilton Field and learned to fly the P-38E Lightning. On May 12, 1942 Bong took off piloting a P-38E Lightning for the first time on his check out flight flying for forty minutes.

During the summer of 1942, Bong was charged with flying a loop over the the Golden Gate Bridge. In fact, he buzzed the house of a pilot friend who had just got married and his plane number was reported by angry neighbors. The same day, three other P-38 pilots flew under the Golden Gate Bridge: 2nd Lt. John G. O'Neill, 2nd Lt. John H. Mangas and 2nd Lt. Mitchell. As a result of the infraction, the pilots were made to report to Major General George C. Kenney. Bong feared he would be court martialed and kicked out of the military. Instead, Kenney ordered each pilot to write a letter about safe flying. Impressed by the trio, Kenney selected them to accompany him to the South West Pacific Area (SWPA).

On July 26, 1942 attached to the 84th Fighter Squadron (84th FS), 78th Fighter Group (78th FG) at Oakland Airfield. During August 1942 Bong made two flights in a P-38F Lightning. By September 2, 1942 he had logged more than 100 hours of flying time in the Lightning before his departure overseas to Australia.