Hello Marge: Discovering “Ace of Aces” Dick Bong’s P-38 Lightning Wreck
- EA Baker
- 3 days ago
- 4 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
The calendar turned to 24 March, 1944. At Nadzab Airfield in New Guinea, 1st Lt. Thomas E. Malone of the U.S. Army Air Force, assigned to the 421st Night Fighter Squadron, prepares for a weather reconnaissance mission. Just the previous day, he had conducted the same mission without incident. But today, his luck would run out.
Taking off with P-38 pilot Lt. Rolland Forrester, Malone flew alongside him in a P-38J, serial number 42-103993, nicknamed “Marge.” This P-38 was different than all others. It was, in fact, special, for it was the first of three planes that Major Dick Bong flew as he became the deadliest American fighter ace in World War II.
Back in Brisbane, Australia, Malone was piloting the famous plane for this mission bound for Wewak. After the pair took off, they encountered bad weather with overcast skies and turbulence beyond 30,000 feet. Approximately fifty minutes into the flight, Malone experienced problems with Marge’s left engine cooler shutters. Radio reception was also poor.
Malone and Forrester lost contact with each other during the mission, but somehow managed to receive a message from base that the mission was canceled. Malone then lost his radio entirely, along with one of his engines. Due to an electrical failure, he was not able to feather it, sending the P-38 into a spin. After falling 11,000 feet, Malone finally bailed out, sending the P-38 into the jungles of New Guinea.
Fast-forward to 2024
For years, Marge was believed to be lost. Yet, that all changed when deep in the jungles of Madang Province, Papua New Guinea, an expedition team achieved what many thought impossible—locating the wreckage of one of World War II's most legendary aircraft. After more than eight decades hidden beneath the jungle canopy, “Marge” had been found.
The discovery marked the culmination of a joint expedition launched on 1 May between Pacific Wrecks and the Richard I. Bong Veterans Historical Center in Superior, Wisconsin. On 23 May, officials gathered for a press conference to announce the historic find. Justin Taylan, Director of Pacific Wrecks, confirmed what forensic examination had revealed: "Pacific Wrecks is honored to be entrusted with this important mission and proudly announces the identification of Marge. The plane's association with Richard Bong makes it one of the most significant World War II aircraft in the world."
The authentication process proved both challenging and remarkable. Briana Fiandt, Curator of Collections and Exhibits with the Bong Center, explained the painstaking verification: video and photographic documentation had confirmed the discovery, but final identification rested on a fragment of the right wing still bearing the last three digits of the original serial number. Remarkably, traces of the original red paint remained visible after more than 80 years in the jungle.
For the Bong family, the discovery carried deep personal significance. James Bong, Richard's nephew and himself a retired U.S. Air Force F-15 fighter pilot now flying for FedEx, expressed the family's emotions: the find was both incredible; Marge had finally come home.
The aircraft's legacy extends beyond its association with America's most daring ace. Named after Bong's girlfriend, Marjorie Vattendahl, and decorated with her portrait, "Marge" had earned its place in aviation history not only through Bong's victories but as an icon of the P-38 Lightning's dominance in the Pacific Theater.
Dick Bong achieved 40 aerial victories, a record unbeaten to this day in the US military, and earned the nickname “Ace of Aces.” He would die shortly after the war ended, test piloting a P-80 jet fighter in California.
If you want to learn more about the Ace Race during World War II, check out The Unauthorized History of the Pacific War podcast episode:
I also recommend you buy the following book (the author is the guest on the podcast mentioned above.
Race of Aces: WWII's Elite Airmen and the Epic Battle to Become the Master of the Sky by John R Brunning
The year is 1942. America's greatest World War I ace, Eddie Rickenbacker, throws down a challenge that will ignite the most ruthless competition in military history. One bottle of bourbon. One impossible target: break his record of 26 kills and become America's deadliest pilot.
What started as a morale booster becomes a three-year blood sport. Five elite fighter pilots. Thousands of miles of Pacific sky. And only one can claim the title of America's greatest ace.
Richard Bong, a farm boy from Wisconsin, takes the early lead in his P-38 Lightning. But in the cockpits of Corsairs, Mustangs, and Lightnings, four other pilots are hunting the same prize—and they'll risk everything to claim it.
This isn't just about shooting down enemy planes. This is about glory, honor, and the razor-thin line between heroism and obsession. In the vast Pacific Theater, where split-second decisions mean life or death, these airmen will push their machines—and themselves—beyond all limits.
The race is on. The stakes are life and death. And only one pilot can be crowned the master of the sky.
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