8. America’s Ace of Aces earned the title in the Pacific Theater
America’s ace of aces during World War I, Eddie Rickenbacker, lived to see his title usurped and his record surpassed during World War II. Rickenbacker totaled 26 victories during World War I. Richard Bong reached 40 victories serving with the US Army Air Force in the Pacific. He flew the P-38 Lightning, a twin-engine, twin-tailed, fighter-bomber. Considering his own marksmanship to be unreliable, he frequently closed as near to his enemy as he could before opening fire. The results led to his own aircraft being damaged by debris as the Japanese airplane broke apart, and on one occasion he collided with an enemy plane.
Bong’s exploits gave him considerable propaganda value, and he was sent home to America to support Victory Bond tours and boost morale. He returned to the United States permanently in January, 1945, having achieved 40 victories, and being awarded the Medal of Honor, along with numerous lesser awards. During the summer of 1945, he went to work as a test pilot for Lockheed, developing the P-80 Shooting Star jet fighter. On August 6, 1945, Bong encountered difficulties during a take-off. Forced to eject, his chute failed to open due to his low altitude. Bong’s death shared the front pages of several newspapers with the announcement of the atomic bomb over Hiroshima. He remains America’s all-time leading ace.