In the century since the human race discovered flight, America has sent its best, brightest, and bravest into the air to serve our country. Of these pilots, only one holds the title of ace of aces, the greatest fighter pilot America has ever known.

To shoot down an opposing fighter plane is impressive: It means an airman went up against another well-trained airman trying to kill him in another technologically advanced mechanism and not only survived, but killed the other guy. To do this twice is a sign you're a great pilot. Do it five times and you've earned the title of "ace."

This man did it 40 times. His name should be one we all remember today as one of the greatest heroes our nation's military has ever seen.

Unfortunately, his name was Major Dick Bong.

Every sentence I read about Major Dick Bong convinces me he is one of the baddest-assed badasses our nation has ever known. He was a brilliant pilot, a thrill-seeker, brave and patriotic enough to continue risking his own life for our nation well after our nation told him he didn't need to risk his life for our nation anymore.

But at the same time, every time I read the words "Major Dick Bong" I start laughing, because it's a perfect symphony of a name. The "Dick" and "Bong" wouldn't be as funny without each other; and and the humor of each is heightened by the fact that this dick bong is in fact a major dick bong.

A Wisconsin native, Bong began his career irritating his superiors. He buzzed around San Francisco at unnecessary low levels, flying over fellow pilots' houses, down Market Street, and even blowing the clothes off an Oakland woman's clothesline. (He was also accused of flying under the Golden Gate Bridge, although he later denied the claim.)

He stopped irritating his superiors as soon as he was put into battle. Flying in the South Pacific, it took Bong less than 18 months to rack up 27 kills on Japanese planes, breaking the previous American record.

At this point, he was promoted to an instructor position, part of an American policy to have its best pilots teach other pilots how to be good, spreading knowledge and talent. Although he was no longer required to fly combat missions, Bong couldn't be held back: From Sept. to Dec. 1944, he shot down another 13 planes, putting him at 40. He was given the Medal of Honor by Douglas MacArthur for going above and beyond the call of duty and sent home, where he could use his celebrity to help the war effort.

He helped sell war bonds and helped Lockheed test out the P-80 Shooting Star, but on Aug. 6, something went wrong. His plane malfunctioned, and he was too low for his parachute to work. Bong died at just 24 years old. In Los Angeles, where his plane crashed, news of his death nearly displaced news of one of the most momentous events of the 20th century:

Names of famous air aces are scattered across the American landscape. You probably encounter at least one in your daily life without even realizing it.

O'Hare Airport, the world's busiest, is named after Edward O'Hare, who saved his aircraft carrier by shooting down a slew of incoming bombers. The Rickenbacker Causeway that connects Miami Beach to the mainland is named after Eddie Rickenbacker, who was America's highest-scoring ace in World War I. (The Rickenbacker guitar company is not -- it's named after founder Adolph Rickenbacher -- but Rickenbacher changed his name's spelling to "Rickenbacker" so he'd have the name of the famous ace instead of a German name). West Virginia's Yeager Airport is named after Chuck Yeager, who went on to achieve fame for breaking the sound barrier after earning his ace kills.

The most famous thing named after Major Dick Bong is the Bong Recreation Area in Kenosha, Wisconsin:

It is mainly famous because people pass it every day and laugh about the words "Bong Recreation Area." The sign has reportedly been stolen many times.

There is also the Bong Airport in Bong's hometown of Superior, Wisconsin:

And the Bong Bridge connecting Superior to Duluth, Minnesota:

I posit that if it were not for the fact that Major Dick Bong's name were Major Dick Bong, there would be dozens more things named after him. But alas, naming X "The Bong X" increases the chances that somebody will try to steal the sign for your thing by 9,000 percent, so there are relatively few things named after Major Dick Bong.

The fact that Major Dick Bong's name was Major Dick Bong shouldn't restrict Major Dick Bong-awareness. We shouldn't hide this great man because his name meant "enormous penis pipe." If anything, the fact that Major Dick Bong was named Major Dick Bong is all the more reason to tell his tale, so that our children and our children's children know about a man who went above and beyond the call of duty.

(Photo credits: Public domain, Creative Commons, Google Maps)