| BONG RECREATIONAL PARK Back to Bong Home Page |
| Some people deny allegations of an underground facility, while others that have lived here in the area insist that one exists. |
| A November 2001 aerial view by Gary Dikkers looking west at the remains of the Bong runway. |
Three circa 1960 aerial views of the newly-constructed, massive runway at Bong
AFB, ( taken from a 440th Airlift Wing C-119 (via MSgt Brady Kiel).
According to Scott Murdock, this property was originally known to the Air Force as the
Kansasville Area. It was redesignated Richard Bong Air Force Base on December 1,
1955, and was intended to be an Air Defense Command interceptor base.
The Air Force chose the Bong AFB location to defend Chicago & Milwaukee from
Soviet bombers. As part of the effort by Strategic Air Command to disperse the
strategic bomber force,
SAC assumed jurisdiction, control, and accountability of Bong from ADC on June 5,
1957. The base was assigned to the Eighth Air Force, and SAC's 4040th Air Base
Squadron was assigned as the base housekeeping unit on August 1, 1958.
The base & the squadron were transferred to Second Air Force on January 1, 1959.
SAC may have intended to station B-58 Hustler supersonic bombers at the base.
By 1959, a massive runway (15/31, 12,900' long) had been graded & the subsurface
prepared, and a few buildings had been constructed. However, construction was
suddenly halted on October 2 1959, a mere three days before concrete was to be
poured along the huge runway,
and the base was declared excess on August 23, 1960.
The earliest depiction of Bong AFB which has been located as a set of 3 circa 1960
aerial views of the newly-constructed runway taken from a 440th Airlift Wing C-119
(via MSgt Brady Kiel). The photos depicted a massive paved runway with a parallel
runway & a single paved parking apron. There was no indication of any buildings
having been constructed at the airfield.
Secretary of the Air Force James Douglas explained that
"Finally we realized that by 1961-62 when Bong would be ready, we would have
several other medium bomber bases empty of squadrons & we really don't need
Bong."
Thus Bong AFB was abandoned before ever being placed into service.
During the 1960s, the aborted AFB property was used
as a training site for Special Forces units headed for Viet Nam.
The site was depicted as "Aband arpt" on the May 1970 Milwaukee Sectional Chart
(courtesy of John Voss).
In 1974 the state bought the 4,515-acre property of the former AFB, and it became
the Richard Bong State Recreation Area, the state's first recreation area.
AFB, ( taken from a 440th Airlift Wing C-119 (via MSgt Brady Kiel).
According to Scott Murdock, this property was originally known to the Air Force as the
Kansasville Area. It was redesignated Richard Bong Air Force Base on December 1,
1955, and was intended to be an Air Defense Command interceptor base.
The Air Force chose the Bong AFB location to defend Chicago & Milwaukee from
Soviet bombers. As part of the effort by Strategic Air Command to disperse the
strategic bomber force,
SAC assumed jurisdiction, control, and accountability of Bong from ADC on June 5,
1957. The base was assigned to the Eighth Air Force, and SAC's 4040th Air Base
Squadron was assigned as the base housekeeping unit on August 1, 1958.
The base & the squadron were transferred to Second Air Force on January 1, 1959.
SAC may have intended to station B-58 Hustler supersonic bombers at the base.
By 1959, a massive runway (15/31, 12,900' long) had been graded & the subsurface
prepared, and a few buildings had been constructed. However, construction was
suddenly halted on October 2 1959, a mere three days before concrete was to be
poured along the huge runway,
and the base was declared excess on August 23, 1960.
The earliest depiction of Bong AFB which has been located as a set of 3 circa 1960
aerial views of the newly-constructed runway taken from a 440th Airlift Wing C-119
(via MSgt Brady Kiel). The photos depicted a massive paved runway with a parallel
runway & a single paved parking apron. There was no indication of any buildings
having been constructed at the airfield.
Secretary of the Air Force James Douglas explained that
"Finally we realized that by 1961-62 when Bong would be ready, we would have
several other medium bomber bases empty of squadrons & we really don't need
Bong."
Thus Bong AFB was abandoned before ever being placed into service.
During the 1960s, the aborted AFB property was used
as a training site for Special Forces units headed for Viet Nam.
The site was depicted as "Aband arpt" on the May 1970 Milwaukee Sectional Chart
(courtesy of John Voss).
In 1974 the state bought the 4,515-acre property of the former AFB, and it became
the Richard Bong State Recreation Area, the state's first recreation area.
| Haunted Bong Recreational Park Exploring the Unknown with Mary Sutherland |
| Brad and Mary Sutherland 248 Carver Street Winslow, Illinois 61089 815 367 1006 |
| Allow me to Introduce Myself .... Click Here |
| Portals...Gateways to the Multi-Dimensional Worlds 19.99 120 pages Full Color Portals- Gateways to the Multi-Dimensional Worlds Believe in the Magic Series In reading my book, ‘Portals- Gateways to the Multi- Dimensional Worlds’ and my series ‘Believe in the Magic’, I assure you, that you will not be disappointed. Quite the opposite; this book and upcoming series offer to the reader a unique understanding of ‘All that Is!’ Spread throughout its pages, are photos my husband Brad and I have taken through the years of the invisible worlds, filled with multiple selves, faeries, trolls, UFOs, angels and more. |
