Prior to receiving his own plane, Bong would fly whatever aircraft was available. He once told his wife the “Marge” plane was “the most shot at girl in the Pacific.” According to the Historical Center, he bailed out after steering the crashing aircraft away from civilian homes, but it was too late. “People were really interested in the shared history,” said Leslie Westmont, public affairs officer for the Wisconsin National Guard. The Wisconsin Air National Guard helped fly the wingtip to the US.