A handwritten caption from a World War II photo album, likely originally paired with a photograph of a P-38 Lightning fighter, identifies the aircraft as belonging to Major Richard I. Bong, America's leading fighter ace of the war with 40 confirmed aerial victories. The note, written using period wartime language, remarks on Bong's death and directs the viewer's attention to the victory markings painted on the aircraft's nose. Bong was killed in a non-combat test-flight accident in August 1945, shortly before the war's end. Project: 218232