Gregory "Pappy" Boyington a legendary warrior , lover , drinker and World War II hero. The life of Boyington is one that goes beyond anything you might expect even in the most imaginative fiction stories of the World War II aviation aces. In 1936 Boyington entered the US Marine Corps as an aviation cadet. Trouble with debts and his stubbornly unconventional behavior was the reason why he was "encouraged" to resign from the USMC before the Corps would kick him out . Boyington a World War II Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient. Served during World War II as a Major in the United States Marine Corps Reserve as commander of Marine Fighter Squadron 214. He was awarded the CMOH for his bravery in Central Solomons area from September 12, 1943 to January 3, 1944. His citation reads ?For extraordinary heroism and valiant devotion to duty as commanding officer of Marine Fighting Squadron 214 in action against enemy Japanese forces in the Central Solomons area. Consistently outnumbered throughout successive hazardous flights over heavily defended hostile territory, Maj. Boyington struck at the enemy with daring and courageous persistence, leading his squadron into combat with devastating results to Japanese shipping, shore installations, and aerial forces. Resolute in his efforts to inflict crippling damage on the enemy, Maj. Boyington led a formation of 24 fighters over Kahili on 17 October and, persistently circling the airdrome where 60 hostile aircraft were grounded, boldly challenged the Japanese to send up planes. Under his brilliant command, our fighters shot down 20 enemy craft in the ensuing action without the loss of a single ship. A superb airman and determined fighter against overwhelming odds, Maj. Boyington personally destroyed 26 of the many Japanese planes shot down by his squadron and, by his forceful leadership, developed the combat readiness in his command which was a distinctive factor in the Allied aerial achievements in this vitally strategic area?. Major Boyington was also awarded the United States Navy?s second highest honor, the Navy Cross. He had served in the Marine Corps previous to World War II, but resigned in to join General Claire Chennault?s ?Flying Tigers? in China, with whom he shot down 6 Japanese aircraft. He re-enlisted in the Marine Corps after Pearl Harbor, (going through some difficulty in doing so, due to his reputation as a undisciplined brawler), and was assigned a squadron of Marine Pilots who would become known as the ?Black Sheep? due to the fact they were scrapped together by Major Boyington, and didn?t go through the formal unit training and assignments in the United States. Major Boyington, being much older than his men, gained the sobriquet ?Pappy?, partially for his age, partially for the way he looked after his men. His "Black Sheep" became one of the top fighter units in US Service, having shot down a confirmed 97 Japanese aircraft, 35 probable ones, damaged 50, and destroyed 21 on the ground. He himself scored 22 kills (his official CMOH citation is in error in that regard). In January 1944 he was shot down over the island of Rabaul and was captured by a Japanese submarine. He spent the remaining balance of the War as a prisoner, never having reported as captured by the Japanese Military authorities. His Medal of Honor was issued to him by the US Navy with the belief it was posthumous. During his 20 months of as a prisoner, he was tortured like many Americans in Japanese hands. In 1947 he was medically retired with the rank of Colonel, USMC. In the 1970?s, after years of personal and medical problems stemming from his war experiences, he sold his story to NBC, which turned into the weekly Television Series ?The Black Sheep Squadron?, an extremely highly fictionalized account of Boyington?s and Marine Squadron 214?s exploits. The series, while initially popular with the public, was heavy criticized from Squadron veterans for the mythical way they and the war they conducted were portrayed. On January 11th 1988 Boyington lost his final battle against cancer , he lies burried at Arlington National Cemetery . Although much of what is told about this legendary fighter-pilot is exagerated still the man was a fighter-pilot of exeptionnal skill and he lived his life like few men ever did. And even though he had to fight a lot of misfortune and had to deal with many setbacks in the end he managed to come back at the surface , loyal to his reputation as a warrior. This site was created to remind the memory of a man who like so many others paved the way that lead the world back to freedom but sunck away once the guns had stopped firing , some like he did managed to get back on their feet others didn't and disappeared in anonymity , that's why this site is also dedicated to those men forgotten by history ...(bio by: Weygantt Kurt)
This Corsair was said to be his but it was well known that this one had only been used for publicity-shots. Boyington allways chose to fly the oldest Corsair in the row.
This is "Pappy's" Corsair and as allways the oldest on the runway.....
Preparing a mission
Pappy's grave at Arlington National Cemetary
World War II Medal of Honor Recipient Major Gregory Boyington
Greg "Pappy" Boyington
One of the most famous of “Ace” Marine fighter pilots during World War II was Greg “Pappy” Boyington. With a “Bad Boy” reputation and an uncanny knack of being able to get into trouble but an extraordinary skill as a fighter pilot he would end his career as the highest scoring ace in the United States Marine Corps.
Born in Coeur d’ Alene, Idaho on December 4, 1912 but growing up on an apple farm in Okanagan, Washington, Boyington joined the military during the height of the Great Depression. He earned his pilot’s wings in 1935 and was a Marine Corps instructor pilot in 1941. He was also divorced, a father of three children and close to being kicked out of the service with a dishonorable discharge.
Luckily for Boyington, fate in the form of Claire Chennault stepped in. Chenault was an ex-army fighter who was putting together a secret group of men (all with the approval of the U.S. Government) to help the Chinese in their long-term war with Japan.
Chennault’s group would become the American Volunteer Group (AVG) and Boyington as well as many other American pilots would make a name for themselves flying the Curtiss P-40 Warhawks that would become famous as the “Flying Tigers.” The AVGs would fly numerous missions against the Japanese from their bases in Burma and southern China for about one year. In fact, they would continue with their “volunteer” work seven months after the attack at Pearl Harbor. Boyington would end his AVG career by downing six Japanese planes.
The AVGs would eventually become part of the U.S. Army Air Force but Boyington chose to return to the Marine Corps. It was a tough fight for Boyington to get reinstated as a Marine Corps officer but in January 1943 he succeeded. In May of that year he was sent to Guadalcanal to be a member of Fighter Squadron VMF-222 but his proclivity for fistfights and drinking would have him eventually sent to New Zealand to “recuperate.”
After his four-month stay in New Zealand, Boyington was sent to the Solomon Islands and the base at Espiritu Santo. It was here that he became a legendary fighter pilot and squadron leader.
Having received no squadron assignment of his own, Boyington worked to build one himself. Adopting the unused Marine designation of VMF-214 he assembled a group of men that would be forever known as “The Black Sheep Squadron.”
The Black Sheep were a mixture of other unassigned pilots and a group of “misfits” that were close to being discharged for disciplinary actions. It was from this group Boyington received his nickname of “Pappy” since he was ten years or more older than any of the other Black Sheep.
Over the next three months the Black Sheep Squadron would become famous for having downed 94 Japanese aircraft while also destroying over one hundred more upon the ground. Of these 94 Japanese “kills” Boyington would have nineteen himself. Five of these would even be done in one day.
On January 3, 1944 fate would again step in as Boyington and the Black Sheep began a mission to hit a Japanese base on the Island of New Britain. The Squadron ran into a large number of Japanese fighters and even though Boyington was able to shoot down three of them himself, an enemy Ace would soon be on his tail. This Japanese Ace was Masajiro Kawato who had victories to his own name and by the end of the day would become famous for shooting down one of the American’s top Aces, Greg Boyington.
After the squadron’s air battle, no one could say whether Boyington had survived but an intense search hadn’t turned up any sign up him. Assumed dead but listed as missing in action, he was “posthumously” awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor and the Navy Cross.
Unknown to the military, Boyington had actually survived the crash and been picked up by a Japanese submarine that took him to New Britain. For the next twenty months the Japanese in Ofuna, Japan would hold Boyington as a prisoner of war but not as a regular prisoner.
As a “special” prisoner, no mention of Boyington’s captivity would reach the Red Cross or his family. Boyington and the rest of this category of prisoners would suffer endless beatings, torture, interrogations and starvation. Within a few months Boyington had lost ninety pounds but finally received a little luck.
He was eventually placed on KP duty where he was befriended by a Japanese grandmother who helped him to steal food and most probably saved his life. Surviving as he could, Boyington was eventually repatriated in 1945 AFTER the American occupation of Japan had begun.
As a war hero who seemed to be back from the dead, Boyington was promoted to the rank of Lt. Colonel and the Marine Corps decided to cash in on his media popularity. They set up speaking tours for Boyington that coincided with their sell of bonds. On the last night of one of these tours though Boyington showed up drunk and belligerent.
Eventually he would be discharged as a full colonel in 1947 but his civilian life would not be a happy one for some time. Battling alcoholism for years, he would hold a number of different jobs until becoming a pilot for an airline in the mid 1950s. In 1957 his name would again be a household word as his autobiography, “Ba Baa Black Sheep” would be published.
He again became famous when NBC turned his autobiography into a made for TV movie starring Robert Conrad and then into a popular series with Boyington as a “consultant.”
Living out his life in Fresno, California, Greg “Pappy” Boyington would die of cancer on January 11, 1988 and be buried at Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C.
