A recovery team from the organization Pacific Wrecks has retrieved a historically significant World War II aircraft wreck from the jungles of Papua New Guinea. The artifact belonged to a P-38 Lightning fighter plane nicknamed “Marge,” which was flown by Major Richard I. Bong, America’s top-scoring flying ace.
The recovery effort was conducted in partnership with the Richard I. Bong Veterans Historical Center and the Wisconsin Air National Guard. The operation also received administrative assistance from the United States Embassy in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.
The fighter plane was originally named after Bong’s girlfriend, Marjorie Vattendahl, whom he married after returning to the United States. Bong was awarded the Medal of Honor by General Douglas MacArthur for shooting down 40 aircraft during the conflict, and he later died while testing a new jet aircraft in California.
Officers from the Wisconsin Air National Guard transported the recovered wingtip artifact and the Pacific Wrecks team back to the United States aboard a U.S. Air Force KC-135R Stratotanker. Participating military personnel included Colonel Christopher Triplett, Brigadier General Adria Zuccaro, and Lieutenant Colonel Michael Dirnberger.
The aircraft wreckage is scheduled to be showcased at the upcoming EAA AirVenture Oshkosh airshow. Following the public exhibition, the artifact will be moved to its permanent repository at the Richard I. Bong Veterans Historical Center located in Superior, Wisconsin.
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