From a farm boy watching Presidential mail planes over Superior, Wisconsin, Dick Bong rose to become America’s Ace of Aces, downing 40 enemy planes in the Pacific while flying the P-38 Lightning we know as Marge.

Trained through the Civilian Pilot Program, he joined the Army Air Corps at age 20 and quickly became a national hero. His courage earned him the Medal of Honor and every major military decoration except the Purple Heart.

Called home for his safety, Bong married his sweetheart, Marge, the namesake of his famous fighter plane.

Just six months later, he was killed test flying America’s first jet, steering it away from homes before bailing out too late. He was 24. His death made national headlines on the same day as the bombing of Hiroshima.

Today, his legacy lives on at the Richard I. Bong Veterans Historical Center.