This index points you to the pages where you can read about persons, places, and ideas. If you do not find the word you are looking for, try to think of another word that means about the same thing.
When you see a page number in bold it means there is a picture on that page.
A
ace (pilot), 46, 66, 70, 71, 80, 80
Army Air Force, 11, 15, 31, 33, 35
B
barrel roll (maneuver), 54
basketball, 6
Bataan Death March, 77
Benny, Jack, 64
bonds, U.S. war, 62–63, 71, 73
Bong family, 3, 3, 4, 5–6, 7, 58–62, 59, 92, 93
letters to, 18, 21, 25, 32, 40, 42, 46–47, 57, 67, 71, 78
Bong, Marge Vattendahl (wife), 61–62, 62, 65, 65, 71, 73, 76, 83–86, 84, 88, 90, 92, 93, 93
Brule River, 5
C
California, 16, 21, 37, 85, 86, 88
Cedar Island, 2
chandelle (maneuver), 54
Chicago, Illinois, 12–13, 57, 73
China, 9
Congressional Medal of Honor, 81, 81–82, 82
Coolidge, President Calvin, 2
death/funeral of Richard, 1, 2, 88–90, 91, 92–93
deaths, during World War II, 2, 9, 22, 39–40
F
farm, Bong family, 3, 4–5, 7, 8
Finger Four (formation), 55, 55
fishing. See hunting/fishing
football, 21
431st Squadron, 80
funeral. See death/funeral of Richard
G
Gardner Field (California), 19
grounded (not allowed to fly), 32–35, 76
H
Hamilton Field (California), 27, 32
hero, Richard as, 1, 56–59, 60, 63–64, 70–73, 92–93, 94
Hirohito, Emperor, 39
hunting/fishing, 2, 5, 41, 57, 60, 61
I
Immelmann (maneuver), 54
Iwo Jima, 78
J
Japan, 1, 10, 36-39, 37, 38, 39, 48–52, 48–49
planes of, 31–32, 43, 43, 44–45, 45, 55–56 (see also Zero/Zeke)
jet. See under planes
K
Kenney, General George, 33–35, 34, 40, 57, 74, 76, 83, 93
L
Lockheed, 24, 28, 86. See also P-38
Lightning
Los Angeles, California, 85
Luftwaffe, 36
Luke Field (Arizona), 22, 23–24, 25
MacArthur, General Douglas, 36, 77, 77, 81, 81–82
maneuvers
McGuire, Tommy, 69, 80, 80–81, 83
military rank, 35
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 73
Milwaukee Sentinel, 91
music, Richard and, 6, 6, 62, 64
Mussolini, Benito, 8
N
Nadzab airstrip, 66
Nagasaki, Japan, 91
Nazis, 36
New Guinea, 33–34, 39, 40, 41, 47, 52, 64–66
P
P-38 Lightning, 6, 24, 24, 30, 73. See also planes
in combat, 44–45, 48–50, 75, 79–80
Richard’s love for, 28, 28, 53
Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, 10, 22, 36
personality of Richard
modest/humble, 7, 61, 67, 74, 80
practical joker, 7, 32–35, 60, 61, 71, 73
Philippines, 36, 76–79, 77, 80, 81
ping-pong, 32
planes
American vs. German, 31–32, 86, 86–87
American vs. Japanese, 31–32, 43, 43, 55–56
AT-6, 24
B-25, 48
B-52 Mitchell, 38
Beaufighter, 48
Betty, 43
Enola Gay, 90
F6F Hellcat, 31
Lilly, 43
Nick, 43
Oscar, 43, 50, 68, 75, 79, 81, 83
P-38 Lightning, 6, 24, 24, 28–30, 30, 44–45, 48–50, 53, 68, 73, 75, 79–80, 85, 85
P-40 Warhawk, 33
Piper Cub, 62
Tōjō, 81
Tony, 43
Zero/Zeke, 29, 29, 31, 43, 44–45, 46, 48–50, 68, 75–76, 81
Poplar, Wisconsin, 1, 18, 40–41, 44, 46, 57, 60, 64, 71, 73
Port Moresby, New Guinea, 41
practical jokes, 7, 32–35, 60, 61, 71, 73
publicity, 60, 62–64, 65, 65, 72, 72–73, 73, 84–85, 90, 91, 92
Richard’s dislike of, 46–47, 56–57, 58–60, 61, 63, 70–71, 82
R
radio communication, 56
responsibilities of Richard, 8
Richard I. Bong Memorial Bridge, 93, 94
Richard I. Bong Veterans Historical Center, 93, 94
Rickenbacker, Eddie, 56, 66, 70, 70, 72
Roosevelt, President Franklin, 22
S
San Francisco, California, 27, 32, 33
Schwimmer airstrip, 50
shotai (formation), 55
Sixth Army, 78
skills of Richard. See also maneuvers
hand-eye coordination, 5
as pilot, 11, 16, 19, 26–27, 44–45, 51, 53
strategies, 41, 67–69, 78. See also maneuvers
Superior, Wisconsin, 21, 62, 63, 63, 94
Superior Central High School, 3, 3, 7
Superior State Teachers College, 8
swimming, 42
T
Tōjō, Hideki, 8
training
danger of, 11–12, 20–21, 25–26
difficulty of, 11–12, 15, 15–16
in gunnery, 74
Tulare, California, 12
V
Vattendahl, Marge. See Bong, Marge
Vattendahl
W
“Washing Machine Charley,” 41
Woods, Captain Robert, 50
World War II
deaths during, 2, 9, 22, 39–40, 77
victory in Europe, 88
victory in Pacific, 91
Wright Air Force Base (Ohio), 86
Z