Richard I. Bong Air Force Base is an unfinished Air Force Base built during the late 1950s. It was named after the famous aviator, Major Richard Ira Bong, of World War II fame. The base was originally intended to be an air defense fighter base for the Chicago and Milwaukee areas. It was conceived in the early 1950s and construction began in the mid-1950s. Construction had barely begun when the base was transferred to the Strategic Air Command. Eventually, the base was considered obsolete as it had become apparent to Air Force officials that the base would be rather redundant with installations nearby that would soon have space for more units. The base was abandoned in 1959 and disposed of the following year. The base is not to be confused with the planned renaming of Spokane Air Force Base, Washington as Bong Air Force Base, which was the planned name of that facility until General Muir Fairchild died on active duty in 1950, cementing Fairchild onto the name of the current Fairchild Air Force Base.
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