This is an I-Heart podcast.

And we continue with our American stories.

Up next comes a man who's simply known as the History Guy. His videos are watched by

hundreds of thousands of people of all ages over on YouTube. The History Guy is also heard here

regularly at How American Stories. Richard Bong was a hero in an era of heroes. Here's the

history guy with the story.

It has often been said that war is the most dramatic of human endeavors.

And of the millions of people who served throughout the globe and the Second World War,

there are countless stories of those who went above and beyond to serve their country,

to protect their comrades, and to do their part to try to bring an end to the most destructive war in human history.

And among those stories is the story of Richard Ira Bong, a U.S. Army fighter pilot in the Pacific who was so successful that he became America's ace of aces.

Richard Ira Bong was born September 24th, 1920, in Superior, Wisconsin.

The oldest of nine children born to Carl Bong, a Swedish immigrant and American Dora Bryce.

He had an interest in planes from a young age and saw air mail planes fly over the farm when

President Calvin Coolidge was

at his Summer White House in Superior.

He recalled that the mail plane flew right over our house, and I knew that I wanted to be a pilot.

He attended the Superior State Teachers College beginning in 1938, where he enrolled in the

civilian pilot training program, started just that year to train pilots,

both for civilian roles, and the possibility of war.

On May 29, 1941, Bong enlisted in the Army Air Corps Aviation Cadet Program.

His gunnery instructor in Arizona was Barry Goldwater, later a senator and presidential nominee, who

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