Gregory "Pappy" Boyington

[Vulture6]

GREGORY BOYINGTON
COLONEL, USMC

Colonel Gregory "Pappy" Boyington, Marine Corps Ace credited with the destruction of 28 Japanese aircraft, was awarded the Medal of Honor "for extraordinary heroism above and beyond the call of duty" while in command of a Marine Fighting Squadron in the Central Solomons Area from 12 September 1943 to 3 January 1944. He was shot down over Rabaul on the latter date, and his capture by the Japanese was followed by 20 months as a prisoner of war. Colonel Boyington died on 11 January 1988 and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

Gregory Boyington was born at Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, 4 December 1912. He was graduated from Lincoln High School in Tacoma, Washington, and majored in aeronautical engineering at the University of Washington, graduating in 1934 with a Bachelor of Science degree. He was a member of Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity. Always an athlete, he was a member of the college wrestling and swimming teams, and is a one-time holder of the Pacific Northwest Intercollegiate middle-weight wrestling title.

During his summer vacations he worked in either a mining camp or a logging camp in his home state. One summer, he was employed by the Coeur d'Alene Fire Protective Association in road construction and lookout work.

The famed flyer started his military career while still attending college. As a member of the Reserve Officers Training Corps for four years, he became a cadet captain. He was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Coast Artillery Reserve in June, 1934, and served two months of active duty with the 630th Coast Artillery at Fort Worden, Washington. On 13 June 1935 he enlisted in the Volunteer Marine Corps Reserve. He went on active duty that date and returned to inactive duty on 16 July.

In the meantime the Colonel had become a draftsman and engineer for the Boeing Aircraft Company of Seattle.

It was on 18 February 1936 that Boyington accepted an appointment as an aviation cadet in the Marine Corps Reserve. He was assigned to the Naval Air Station, Pensacola, Florida, for flight training. Years before, he first flew when he was only eight years old, with Clyde Pangborn, who later flew the Pacific non-stop.

He was designated a Naval Aviator on 11 March 1937; he was next transferred to Quantico, Virginia, for duty with Aircraft One, Fleet Marine Force. He was discharged from the Marine Corps Reserve on 1 July 1937 in order to accept a second lieutenant's commission in the regular Marine Corps the following day.

Detached to the Basic School, Philadelphia, in July 1938, Lieutenant Boyington was transferred to the 2d Marine Aircraft Group at the San Diego Naval Air Station upon completion of his studies. With that unit he took part in fleet problems off the aircraft carriers USS Lexington and USS Yorktown.

Promoted to first lieutenant on 4 November 1940, he went back to Pensacola as an instructor the next month.

Lieutenant Boyington resigned his commission in the Marine Corps on 26 August 1941 to accept a position with the Central Aircraft Manufacturing Company. CAMCO was a civilian organization formed for the protection of the Burma Road. The unit later became known as the American Volunteer Group, the famed "Flying Tigers" of China. During his months with the "Tigers" Boyington became a squadron commander and shot down six Japanese planes to secure an appreciable lead over other American aces who didn't get into the fight after 7 December 1941. He flew 300 combat hours before the AVG disbanded.

Major Boyington joined Marine Aircraft Group 11 of the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing and became Commanding Officer of Marine Fighting Squadron 214 after a short tour in the Solomons with another squadron. The new squadron was made up of a group of casuals, replacements, and green pilots and was dubbed the "Black Sheep" Squadron.

Before organizing the "Black Sheep," Major Boyington had done some combat flying at Guadalcanal in April 1943, as Executive Officer of Marine Fighting Squadron 121, but he had added no enemy planes to his score there. However, during those two periods of intense activity in the Russell Islands-New Georgia and Bougainville-New Britain-New Ireland areas, "Pappy", so named because of his age (31) compared to that of his men, added to his total almost daily. During his squadron's first tour of combat duty, the major personally shot down 14 enemy fighter planes in 32 days. On 17 December 1943, he headed the first Allied fighter sweep over impregnable Rabaul. By 27 December his record was 25. He tied the then-existing American record of 26 planes on 3 January when he shot down another fighter over Rabaul.

Typical of Major Boyington's daring feats is his attack on Kahili airdome at the southern tip of Bougainville on 17 October 1943. He and 24 fighters circled the field persistently where 60 hostile aircraft were grounded, goading the enemy into sending up a large numerically superior force. In the fierce battle that followed, 20 of the enemy planes were shot out of the skies. The Black Sheep roared back to their base without the loss of a single ship.

On 3 January 1944, 48 American planes, including one division (4 planes) from the Black Sheep Squadron took off from Bougainville for a fighter sweep over Rabaul. Boyington was the tactical commander of the flight and arrived over Rabaul at eight o'clock in the morning. In the ensuing action the major was seen to shoot down his 26th plane. He then became mixed in the general melee of diving swooping planes and was not seen or heard from again. Following a determined search which proved futile, the major was declared as missing in action. While a prisoner of the Japanese he was selected for temporary promotion to the rank of lieutenant colonel.

During mid-August, 1945, after the atom bombs and the Japanese capitulation, Major Boyington was liberated from Japanese custody at Omori Prison Camp in the Tokyo area on 29 August and arrived in the United States shortly afterwards.
On 6 September the top ace who had been a prisoner of the Japanese for the past 20 months accepted his temporary lieutenant colonel's commission in the Marine Corps.

At the time of his release it was confirmed that Colonel Boyington had accounted for two Japanese planes on that fateful 3 January before he himself was shot down. That set his total at 28 planes which was highest for Marines.
Shortly after his return to his homeland, Colonel Boyington was ordered to Washington to receive the nation's highest honor, the Medal of Honor, from the President. The medal had been awarded by the late president, Franklin D. Roosevelt in March 1944 and held in the Capital until such time as the colonel was able to receive it. On 5 October 1945, "Nimitz Day," he, together with a number of other Marines and Naval personnel appeared at the White House and was decorated by President Harry S. Truman.

On the day previous to that he was presented the Navy Cross by the Commandant of the Marine Corps for the ace's heroic achievements on the day he became missing in action.

Following the receipt of his Medal of Honor and Navy Cross, Colonel Boyington made a Victory Bond Tour. Originally ordered to the Marine Corps Schools, Quantico, he was later directed to report to the Commanding General, Marine Air West Coast, Marine Corps Air Depot, Miramar, San Diego, California.

Colonel Boyington was retired from the Marine Corps on 1 August 1947 and, because he was specially commended for the performance of duty in actual combat, he was advanced to his final rank.

In addition to the Medal of Honor and Navy Cross, Colonel Boyington held the American Defense Service Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, American Campaign Medal, and the World War II Victory Medal.

CITATION
BOYINGTON, GREGORY
Rank and organization: Major, U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, Marine Squadron 214. Place and date: Central Solomons area, from 12 September 1943 to 3 January 1944. Entered service at: Washington. Born: 4 December 1912, Coeur D'Alene, Idaho. Other Navy award: Navy Cross. Citation: 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 from 12 September 1943 to 3 January 1944. 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.

[Vulture6]

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 snuck 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.