(USA) Boyington Gregory @·AIRCRAFTUBE

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"Pappy" Gregory Boyington

December 4, 1912 - January 11, 1988

Gregory Boyington was born on December 4, 1912 at Cœur D'Alene Idaho and was raised by his mother who worked as a switchboard operator in Tacoma, Washington. His fellow's college students at Tacoma's Lincoln High School only knew him as Greg Hallenbeck, the name of his step father that Gregory kept until he graduated in aeronautical engineering at the University of Washington, in 1934. Many sacrifices were made to pay Gregory's studies and he spent his summer vacations working in either a mining camp or as a car park employee. Also a good athlete, he was member of his college's wrestling and notation team.

Boyington started his military career while he was still at school. He became reservist of the Officer's Training Corps and 4 years later was promoted as a Cadet Captain. In June 1935, he enrolled as a voluntary reserve in the Marines. After he got his engineer diploma in 1936, he worked for one year as draftsman for Boeing before joining the Marines were he worked as an instructor for 6 years. It's in the army that he discovered his passion for flying and adventure and in 1941, he joined the "American Volunteer Group" in China (The famous Flying Tigers of Claire Lee Chennault) were he shot down six Japanese planes. After the USA entered war, his unit was dissolved and he was affected to the Marine Corps in 1942 were he got the opportunity to take lead of VMF-122 squadron.

In 1943, he convinced his superiors to let him start his own squadron in the Solomon islands, VMF-214. This unit started as a mix of beginners and veterans among which many did not shine for their military discipline. VMF-214 was soon known as the "Black Sheep" squadron that first operated at Munda, in New Guinea. Being relatively older compared to the age of his men, he soon got the nickname "Pappy" and during the first mission of the group, on September 16, 1943, Boyington shot down 5 Japanese fighters while on a bomber escort flight.

The squadron was moved to Vella LaVella, in the Solomon Islands by the end of 1943. On January 3, 1944, the day he accounted his 27th and 28th victories over Rabaul, he also got shot down by a Zero fighter. Strafed in water by his aggressor, he was finally saved by an enemy submarine; Boyington spent the next 20 months in captivity, where he learned about starvation and enemy's bad treatments.
He was never reported captured by the Japanese and the only person in the US who knew he was alive was his mother, later informed by coded message from another war prisoner. Boyington was awarded a posthumous "Medal of Honour" and when his camp was liberated in august 1945, he appeared to the world as a resurrected person.

Between his tours in China, Burma and the South Pacific, Boyington shot 28 enemy planes, a record for Navy pilots during WWII. VMF-214 was credited 168 enemy planes destroyed or damaged in 1,776 missions that took place during 2 operation tours of 6 weeks each. Boyington was promoted to Colonel in 1947 the day that he retired from the army.

Many years of suffering followed when the war ended. Unable to detach from alcohol, his sentimental live was a disaster and he successively found himself a beer salesman, stock salesman, jewellery salesman and even wrestling referee for 4 years.

In 1958, his story came to life again when he narrated his life in the book "Baa Baa, Black Sheep", a book that he wrote without anybody's help. When in 1976 he got his copyrights back, he was contacted by producer Stephen Cannell of Universal Studios who wanted to adapt the book (and specially the VMF-214 chapter) for TV. The actor Robert Conrad was chosen to play the role under "Papy"'s supervision. Boyington later apologised for the false image his men were given in this series.

Boyington died of cancer on January 11, 1988. His grave can be seen at the Arlington National Cemetery in Texas.

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