Today we are here at the Richard I. Bong Veterans Historical Center
and we are going to check out this P-38 Lightning they have on display
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Today we are at the Richard I. Bong Veterans Historical Center in Superior, Wisconsin
to check out this P38 Lightning they have on display
But if we're just meeting for the first time,
my name is Ken Stano and I am a World War II historian, mechanical engineer and pilot.
I love checking out planes like this. I've never seen a P-38 in person before. Let's take a look
This is a pretty amazing display they have here. I've never been here before.
As most of you know, I've done a lot of video work
with the Commemorative Air Force here in Superior showing you their PBY Catalina.
Well they always told me you've got to check out the Bong Veterans Historical Center
and I actually came here a day early to do exactly that
And this P38 Lightning that they have on display here...
Standing behind it you can see the twin tails...
Trust me it does not disappoint
It's a great display. You can walk all the way around it.
John, the Education Coordinator actually gave me a lot of history on this plane
This actual plane was flown here into Wisconsin
in the late 1940's and it was originally on display in a Wisconsin town called Poplar
which is where Richard I. Bong was originally from.
It was on display outside. Didn't do very well. It was only outside for about six years
Suffered a lot of corrosion on the fuselage
They eventually brought it into this fabulous building right around 2002.
We're going on the 20th anniversary
A lot of volunteer hours went into rebuilding it into static display condition and it is beautiful
Take a look here... nose cone on the starboard propeller is pristine
These Curtis Electric props look absolutely amazing. It's an incredible display.
Climbing up we're going to get a look at the cockpit
You can see here... Gauges... Seat...
It even smells like it must have during WW2, and they've got it in great condition
Just going around the plane...
Like I said a few moments ago, this is the first time I've ever actually seen one in person
You see a lot of videos; a lot of pictures.
I just finished reading the book 'Dead Reckoning' by Dick Lehr
and there are a lot of resources out there that let you know what these planes were like
There were 10,000 of them that were actually manufactured
But here's the thing... As I understand it, there're less than 30 left on display
Maybe only six in flyable condition,
For as many that were manufactured, I'm shocked at how few are left.
This building here is amazing. They keep it at a constant temperature and humidity level,
so that this should be around for people to enjoy for many years to come
But a lot of the the other P-38's that are out there, a lot of the other examples,
who knows how long they're going to be on hand.
So I strongly recommend that you take an opportunity to see one
if you know of one that's nearby.
They let you walk right up to it.
You can open compartments like the baggage compartment here
They've got a great display.
That's the actual type of metal grating that they put down on Pacific landing strips on the islands during WWII
Getting up underneath in the wheel wells, you can get up close
Now before we get to the part of the story about how this amazing plane was named 'Marge',
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I took a few moments to replicate some of the views from earlier
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Okay... This P-38 that's on display... What's the story? Why is it called 'Marge'?
Well it's called 'Marge' because there was an
ace fighter pilot during World War II named Richard I. Bong
As a matter of fact, he wasn't just an ace pilot....
He had the most kills, 40, out of any Allied pilot. So that's a big deal.
He eventually was ordered to return back to the States and sell war bonds;
raise money for the war effort
That gave him the opportunity to marry his fiancee, Marge
The unfortunate part of the story is...
while flying a test version of a jet, he crashed and was killed.
They were only married for about six months. Terrible story
This memorial, as I understand it, money was raised for this memorial by his wife, Marge
If you get the opportunity to visit the Richard I. Bong Veterans Historical Center
I strongly recommend you do so
It's an incredible display.
This P-38 Lightning is fantastic to look at
on display here at the Richard I. Bong Veterans Historical Center in Superior, Wisconsin
If you want to visit, I will have a link to their website in the description below for this video
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My name is Ken Stano. Thank you for checking out HISTORY X