Michael O’Connor, author of the “Ace of Aces, the Dick Bong Story,” spoke to veterans at the Veterans Weekly Cup-of-Coffee group meeting in early March.
O’Connor, a graduate of Mosinee High School and the University of Wisconsin-Madison, was a reference librarian at the Marathon County Public Library in Wausau for 40 years. In addition to the “Ace of Aces” book, O’Connor wrote the “MiG Killers of Yankee Station” and numerous articles on military aviation history.
Richard Bong was a Wisconsin farm boy who had an itch to fly. During World War II, Bong took his P-38 into combat and shot his way to the very top of the list of American Fighter Aces. With a count of 40 Japanese war planes, he earned for himself the title of America’s Ace of Aces and received the Medal of Honor and other decorations for bravery, according to O’Connor.
The Veterans Weekly Cup-of-Coffee group provides support for each other and information of interest to Veterans. For more information contact Mike Heilmann at [email protected] or 715-846-0166.
Photo of Michael O’Connor courtesy Mike Heilmann.
