Making His Dreams Come True
After finishing high school, Bong turned his dream into reality. He enrolled at Superior State Teachers’ College and earned his civilian pilot’s license. Before long, his career (literally) took off. Like many people at the time, Bong possessed the values of many Americans of the era, including a deep sense of patriotism.
Photo by GBM Historical Images / Shutterstock
In May 1941, the pilot decided to enroll in the Army Air Corps Aviation Cadet Program. After being sent to Tulare, California, for his primary flight instruction, he was sent to Gardner Field in Taft, California for military flight training. While Bong ping-ponged between California and Arizona, his instructors were blown away by his natural ability to not only fly but fight.