Wingtip from Richard Bong's WWII P-38 Lightning arrives at Wisconsin museum

A fragment of the Lockheed P‑38 Lightning nicknamed “Marge” has returned to the United States after more than eight decades in the waters of Papua New Guinea. The aircraft, flown by World War II ace Richard Bong, crashed in 1944 over the island nation. The wingtip, named after Bong’s girlfriend Marge Vattendahl, was recovered by a joint effort of local authorities and U.S. military contractors, then transported by air, land and sea to the Richard I Bong Veterans Historical Center in Superior, Wisconsin.

The recovery operation began in 2023 when a team of divers located the wreckage on the ocean floor. The wingtip was carefully extracted, sealed, and shipped to the United States in a climate‑controlled container. Once in Wisconsin, the artifact was restored and displayed at the historical center, where it serves as a tangible link to Bong’s distinguished service and the broader history of the P‑38’s role in the Pacific theater.

The return of the “Marge” wingtip underscores the enduring legacy of Richard Bong, who remains the United States’ most‑decorated pilot of the war. The artifact’s arrival at the Veterans Historical Center provides a new focal point for researchers and visitors interested in the technical and human stories of the aircraft that helped secure Allied victory in the Pacific.