![Uncredited FILE - Captain Richard J. Bong, of Poplar, Wis., points to a large picture of his girl friend, Marge Vattendahl, on his Lighting P-38 fighter plane pilot stationed at a New Guinea Air Base, March 31, 1944. Searchers announced Thursday, May 23, 2024, that they've discovered what they believe is the wreckage of World War II ace Bong's plane in the South Pacific. (AP Photo, File)](https://mapi.associatedpress.com/v2/items/ecb1001d316c46758fb4e38fa4f1aea5/preview/preview.jpg?s=680x)
FILE - Captain Richard J. Bong, of Poplar, Wis., points to a large picture of his girl friend, Marge Vattendahl, on his Lighting P-38 fighter plane pilot stationed at a New Guinea Air Base, March 31, 1944. Searchers announced Thursday, May 23, 2024, that they've discovered what they believe is the wreckage of World War II ace Bong's plane in the South Pacific. (AP Photo, File)
![Joel Carillet This photo provided by Joel Carillet shows Pacific Wrecks Director Justin Taylan with the remains of a wing from World War II ace Richard Bong's P-38 Lightning fighter plane that he discovered in the Papua New Guinea jungle, Wednesday, May 15, 2024. Another pilot was flying the plane, nicknamed "Marge" after Bong's girlfriend, when it crashed in Papua New Guinea in 1944. Taylan led an expedition sponsored by the Richard I. Bong Veterans Historical Center and Pacific Wrecks, a World War II, historical preservation group, to find the wreckage. (Pacific Wrecks/Joel Carillet via AP)](https://mapi.associatedpress.com/v2/items/c642b23bbb114359b41ebd7bfc5110de/preview/preview.jpg?s=680x)
This photo provided by Joel Carillet shows Pacific Wrecks Director Justin Taylan with the remains of a wing from World War II ace Richard Bong's P-38 Lightning fighter plane that he discovered in the Papua New Guinea jungle, Wednesday, May 15, 2024. Another pilot was flying the plane, nicknamed "Marge" after Bong's girlfriend, when it crashed in Papua New Guinea in 1944. Taylan led an expedition sponsored by the Richard I. Bong Veterans Historical Center and Pacific Wrecks, a World War II, historical preservation group, to find the wreckage. (Pacific Wrecks/Joel Carillet via AP)
![Joel Carillet This photo provided by Joel Carillet shows a piece of wreckage from World War II ace Richard Bong's P-38 Lightning fighter plane as it lays on the ground in the jungles of Madang Province, Papua New Guinea, Wednesday, May 15, 2024. Another pilot was flying the plane when it crashed in 1944. An expedition sponsored by the Richard I. Bong Veterans Historical Center and Pacific Wrecks, a World War II historical preservation group, discovered the crash site. (Pacific Wrecks/Joel Carillet via AP)](https://mapi.associatedpress.com/v2/items/786c27db29984242b9d21e9893698b98/preview/preview.jpg?s=680x)
This photo provided by Joel Carillet shows a piece of wreckage from World War II ace Richard Bong's P-38 Lightning fighter plane as it lays on the ground in the jungles of Madang Province, Papua New Guinea, Wednesday, May 15, 2024. Another pilot was flying the plane when it crashed in 1944. An expedition sponsored by the Richard I. Bong Veterans Historical Center and Pacific Wrecks, a World War II historical preservation group, discovered the crash site. (Pacific Wrecks/Joel Carillet via AP)
![Joel Carillet This photo provided by Joel Carillet shows explorers sponsored by the Richard I. Bong Veterans Historical Center and World War II preservation group Pacific Wrecks as they photograph manufacturing information from the wreckage of World War II ace Richard Bong's P-38 Lightning in Madang Province, Papua New Guinea, Wednesday, May 15, 2024. Another pilot was flying the plane when it crashed in March 1944. (Pacific Wrecks/Joel Carillet via AP)](https://mapi.associatedpress.com/v2/items/334dfd3892b248aabd19be0e1d60fc20/preview/preview.jpg?s=680x)
This photo provided by Joel Carillet shows explorers sponsored by the Richard I. Bong Veterans Historical Center and World War II preservation group Pacific Wrecks as they photograph manufacturing information from the wreckage of World War II ace Richard Bong's P-38 Lightning in Madang Province, Papua New Guinea, Wednesday, May 15, 2024. Another pilot was flying the plane when it crashed in March 1944. (Pacific Wrecks/Joel Carillet via AP)