Richard Bong Chapter in Duluth, MN is sister chapter to Rawlings in the Twin Cities. Both comprise Minnesota AFA. Bryan Graddy, Bong chapter president, welcomes you to Richard I Bong Chapter’s web page, Bongafa.org.

Bong chapter holds quarterly meetings in Duluth’s metropolitan area at various locations. These meetings are combined with an interesting speaker at a local restaurant. The Annual Dinner is usually held at Barker’s Island in Superior, WI. Lt Col Graddy is Commander of Air Force ROTC Detachment 420 at the University of Minnesota-Duluth.

The city of Duluth brings Air Force and aerospace opportunities to Bong AFA Chapter #226. University of Minnesota Duluth has a strong Air Force ROTC detachment. Minnesota Air National Guard flys F-16’s out of it’s base there.

Bong Chapter was founded by the former Commander of the 23rd Air Division, Air Defense Command, Charles Bishop, who in the spring of 1981 went into the Duluth business community and recruited 49 business and other people to charter the Head of the Lakes Chapter. Charter meeting was held May 18, 1981.

The second Chapter President John (Jack) Swanstrom, Swanstrom Tools, determined the Chapter name should be changed to the Richard I Bong Chapter. He obtained the permission of the Bong family to do so. He petitioned AFA HQ to approve in December 1984. The charter name was changed with the original charter date of Aug 11, 1981 retained. Chapter membership grew to over 250 members residing in the surrounding MN and WI area. The Chapter endorsed the MN Air National Guard 148th FW with special recognition of their Airmen of the Year recipients. Unit members continued in chapter leadership roles over the years. The chapter established a $500 Civil Air Patrol Cadet Scholarship fund, in support of the Duluth Composite Sqd Civil air Patrol.