In 1940, Bochkay entered the
United States military as a private with the
7th Infantry Division in
Fort Ord, California. In 1941, he was transferred to the Aviation Cadet Program of the
United States Army Air Corps. In April 1943, he was commissioned as
second lieutenant and earned his pilot wings.
World War II Following the completion of his flight training, Bochkay was assigned as a
Bell P-39 Airacobra pilot with the
363d Fighter Squadron of the
357th Fighter Group in
Tonopah, Nevada, in May 1943. In November 1943, the 357th Fighter Group was assigned to the
European Theater of Operations and was stationed at
RAF Leiston in England, where the unit was equipped with the propeller-driven
North American P-51 Mustangs. On July 5, during a fighter mission over
Rouen, France, he shot down a Bf 109 and Fw 190. Before the end of July, he shot down two more enemy airplanes. In August, he returned to the United States on leave. In October, he returned to the 357th FG and, on December 5, he shot down two Fw 190s northwest of Berlin, bringing his total aerial victories to 11. On April 18, 1945, Bochkay shot down another Me 262 that was taking off from
Ruzyně Airport in
Prague,
Czechoslovakia, his thirteenth and final aerial victory of the war. During the war, he obtained a silk underwear and using it to impress an English barmaid, he remarked "stick with me honey, and you'll be farting through silk."
Post war Following the end of World War II, Bochkay left active duty. In 1956, he re-entered active duty with the
United States Air Force and retired in 1970 with the rank of
lieutenant colonel. ==Aerial victory credits==