Dick Bong was the greatest fighter pilot of all time. He was America’s “Ace of Aces,” having achieved an incredible 40 kills in air-to-air combat. After his 40th kill his superiors decided he deserved to return to a hero’s welcome, so he was ordered home for his safety. Ironically, he died six months after returning home from the war due to a mechanical failure in the plane he was flying. We act like we're invulnerable, but we're not.