Gregory "Pappy" Boyington
The top Marine Corps flying ace was born and raised in northern Idaho. His career in World War II was followed in "Time," "Life," and "Newsweek" from about 1944-47.
"Time" (Jan. 10, 1944) reported: A bent-winged, big nosed Corsair fighter slid down the South Pacific Sky to the Bougainville runway. A disgruntled pilot hopped out. Marine Major Gregory Boyington had just shot down his 25th Japanese plane over Rabaul, New Britain . . .he was one short of tying, two short of beating, the U. S. record of 26 enemy planes shot down, a record held jointly by WWII Captain Joe Foss and WWI Captain Eddie Rickenbacker. The next issue reported: The 30-year old Boyington went down over Rabaul with guns blazing. His Corsair's target, a Zero, burst into flames and plummeted toward the blue. That was the 26th victory for Maj. Gregory Boyington, leader of the Marines' Black Sheep Squadron. Pilots who saw the Zero crash lost sight of Boyington's plane. A search by the Squadron failed to find him. The missing flyer's tally of 26 kills, including those shot down as a Flying Tiger in China, equaled the records previously in World Wars I and II. Born in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, December 4, 1912, the 30-year old flyer known as Pappy went down only a few days before his age would have probably forced him out of combat. Nothing more was heard of him until after the War and he was rescued after 20 months in a Japanese prison camp. Returning home a hero and to a four-page spread in "Life" Oct. 1, 1945. He was later credited with two more downed planes (a total of 28) and awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor and Navy Cross. Boyington was determined to be a flyer since his first flight at the age of eight with a barnstorming pilot at St. Maries, where he lived for a time. He graduated from the University of Washington in 1934 with a degree in aeronautical engineering. He worked a year as a draftsman at Boeing, then took his Marine training, and in 1941 joined the Flying Tigers in China. He rejoined his old Marine outfit in 1941 when the U. S. entered the war. He was commander of the famous Black Sheep Marine Squadron, which later became the basis for the TV movie "Flying Misfits" and the 26-episode TV series "Black Sheep Squadron." Boyington later lectured and toured to promote his books "Baa Baa Black Sheet" (1957) and "Tonya" (1960), about his experience with the Flying Tigers. He became a brewing executive in Los Angeles and later a vice president for an aerospace manufacturing company until retiring in 1960's. He died in Fresno, California, January 11, 1988 at age 75 and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery, just down the hill from the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. |
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