Aces In Education

Joshism

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The History Guy on YouTube recently had a video about Richard "Dick" Bong, a great P-38 Lightning ace in WW2.

Somebody in the comments was peeved that people like Bong, Pappy Boyington, and Chenault aren't taught in school.

I'm a lifelong military history buff, but I don't think under normal circumstances they have any place in a history class. JROTC sure, or if a kid wants to write about one of them for his term paper.

There is a lot to cover in American history classes. Fighter aces are interesting characters, but not being able to name any fighter aces isn't going to impact what students need to learn about World War 2. They need to learn when the war was fought, why, and the consequences of it. Big issues stemming from the war experience.

You might as well complain Benjamin Grierson or Amos Cushing or Raphael Semmes weren't covered either.

I suspect the real issue is what some people think history class should be. Namely that it's about explaining to kids why the USA is the greatest thing ever with a glorious history full of heroes they should emulate, if not outright worship.

School is supposed to be about education, not indoctrination - for or against your country. Understand the past to better understand the present.
 

rittmeister

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The History Guy on YouTube recently had a video about Richard "Dick" Bong, a great P-38 Lightning ace in WW2.

Somebody in the comments was peeved that people like Bong, Pappy Boyington, and Chenault aren't taught in school.

I'm a lifelong military history buff, but I don't think under normal circumstances they have any place in a history class. JROTC sure, or if a kid wants to write about one of them for his term paper.

There is a lot to cover in American history classes. Fighter aces are interesting characters, but not being able to name any fighter aces isn't going to impact what students need to learn about World War 2. They need to learn when the war was fought, why, and the consequences of it. Big issues stemming from the war experience.

You might as well complain Benjamin Grierson or Amos Cushing or Raphael Semmes weren't covered either.

I suspect the real issue is what some people think history class should be. Namely that it's about explaining to kids why the USA is the greatest thing ever with a glorious history full of heroes they should emulate, if not outright worship.

School is supposed to be about education, not indoctrination - for or against your country. Understand the past to better understand the present.
100% agree - needed to start with erich hartmann anyway


you need to scroll (a lot) to find bong
 

rittmeister

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this one? the title is prepostorous, richard bong is the joined* 402nd ace of ww II

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* together with 4 luftwaffe pilots
 

Joshism

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this one? the title is prepostorous, richard bong is the joined* 402nd ace of ww II
He was the top scoring American ace of the war (and of all time), in a rather short span of time too.

I think the video quoted a WW2 era source, probably a newspaper, that referred to Bong as "the ace of aces."
 

rittmeister

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That is a remarkable number of German pliots.

That said, how many Luftwaffe aces padded their stats against inept Soviet opponents?
that's so american - did you count the soviet flags above bong? they were flying american and british planes a lot, btw.

if you want to push down their combat prowess try reading up on stalin's purges
 

rittmeister

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that's so american - did you count the soviet flags above bong? they were flying american and british planes a lot, btw.

if you want to push down their combat prowess try reading up on stalin's purges
do you really think a mushik can fly a fighter?

i hope he's more to your liking
 

Matt McKeon

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I will say my class would love to have a lesson about a character named Dick Bong. They would demand to do posters and video presentations about Dick Bong, and vote to have "Dick Bong Day" included in the school calendar, and require our principal to announce "It's a day to remember Dick Bong, students! Let's all think of Dick Bong today." They would advocate that it should be a two day celebration, "Dick Day" and "Bong Day."
 

rittmeister

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I will say my class would love to have a lesson about a character named Dick Bong. They would demand to do posters and video presentations about Dick Bong, and vote to have "Dick Bong Day" included in the school calendar, and require our principal to announce "It's a day to remember Dick Bong, students! Let's all think of Dick Bong today." They would advocate that it should be a two day celebration, "Dick Day" and "Bong Day."
so nothing changed with horny and doped pupils?
 

rittmeister

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He was the top scoring American ace of the war (and of all time), in a rather short span of time too.

I think the video quoted a WW2 era source, probably a newspaper, that referred to Bong as "the ace of aces."
american paper i guess
 

Matt McKeon

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so nothing changed with horny and doped pupils?
Sadly its the aging, undoped Mr. McKeon who immediately grasped the possibilities of "Dick Bong Day." What's the most appropriate gift for Dick Bong Day? What best celebrates Dick? Or Bong? Or both?
 

rittmeister

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Sadly its the aging, undoped Mr. McKeon who immediately grasped the possibilities of "Dick Bong Day." What's the most appropriate gift for Dick Bong Day? What best celebrates Dick? Or Bong? Or both?
you don't remember your horny stoned days?
 
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Joshism

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Sadly its the aging, undoped Mr. McKeon who immediately grasped the possibilities of "Dick Bong Day." What's the most appropriate gift for Dick Bong Day? What best celebrates Dick? Or Bong? Or both?
I'd be surprised if Spencer Gifts has never sold a product called Dick Bong.

the prob is they need to get at least to 40 to understand that old farts like us were young once
The biggest reason I can't relate to children or teenagers is I've never really been one.

I spend my childhood trying to be more of an adult. By the time I reached adulthood I realized most adults have the intelligence and maturity of teenagers.
 
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