The Search For Richard Bong’s Crashed Historic Plane Is Underway
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The Search Is ON!
The Richard I. Bong Veterans Historical Center in Superior, alongside the nonprofit World War II historical preservation organization ‘Pacific Wrecks’, has initiated efforts to locate the remains of World War II ace Richard Bong’s aircraft in the South Pacific.
Bong, credited with downing 40 Japanese aircraft, flew a Lockheed P-38 Lightning fighter plane nicknamed “Marge” in honor of his girlfriend, Marjorie Vattendahl.
Pilot Thomas Malone was flying the plane in March 1944 over Papua New Guinea when engine failure caused it to crash.
Pacific Wrecks founder Justin Taylan will lead the search, scheduled for May, with an estimated cost of $63,000 funded through donations.
“Hopefully we’ll be able to find the ultimate proof, which will be a serial number from the airplane that says this airplane is Marge,” Taylan said.
Hopefully they recover Marge soon!
