Pappy Boyington (deceased) *Signature Value : £95
| Gregory Boyington was born on December 4th, 1912 in Coeur d'Alene in Idaho and grew up in the logging town of St Maries, Idaho and in Tacoma, Washington, where Boyington was a wrestler at Lincoln High School. Boyington took his first flight when he was six years old, with Clyde Panborn. Gregory Boyington started his military career in college, as a member of the Reserve Officers Training Corps and in June 1934 became a 2nd Lt in the Coast Artillery Reserve, and served two months of active duty with the 630th Coast Artillery at Fort Worden, Washington. On June 13th, 1935, he enlisted in the Volunteer Marine Corps Reserve. On February 18th, 1936, Boyington accepted an appointment as an aviation cadet in the Marine Corps Reserve. Boyington went to Pensacola in Florida, for flight training. On the 11th of March 1937 Boyington was designated a naval aviator and went to Quantico in Virginia with Aircraft One, of the Fleet Marine Force, but on t the 1st July transferred to the Marine Corps and became a Second Lieutenant. In 1938 after a period at basic school, Boyington was transferred to the 2nd Marine Aircraft Group at the San Diego Naval Air Station where he took part in fleet problmes with he aircraft carriers USS Lexington, and USS Yorktown. On 4th November 1940 Boyington was promoted to Lieutenant and returned to Pensacola as an instructor the next month. Boyington resigned his commission in the Marine Corps on August 26, 1941 to accept a position with CAMCO which was a special civilian Air Unit to defend China. This unit became known as the American Volunteer Group (AVG), the famed Flying Tigers of China. During his months with the Tigers, Boyington became a flight leader. As a member of the AVG 1st Squadron, Boyington was officially credited with 3.5 Japanese aircraft destroyed in the air and on the ground. Boyington returned to the United States, where he was eventually re-instated in the Marine Corps. Boyington was assigned to Marine Aircraft Group 11 of the 1st marine Aircraft Wing and operated out of Guadalcanal with VMF121. Boyington would go on to become the Commanding Officer with the Black Sheep squadron (214 marine Fighter Squadron). Boyington is best known for flying the F4U Corsair with VMF-214. During his squadron's first tour of combat duty, Major Boyington shot down 14 enemy fighter planes in 32 days. By December 27th, Boyington had 25 victories. His 26th victory came on January 3rd, 1944 over Rabaul, but hewas shot down himself later the same day. Following a determined but futile search, Boyington was declared missing in action. Boyington had been picked up by a Japanese submarine and became a POW. After Japanese surrender, Boyington was liberated from Omori Prison Camn near Tokyo on August 29th and returned to the US in Septmeber 1945. Shortly after his return to the U.S., as a lieutenant colonel, Boyington received the Medal of Honor (The medal had been awarded by the late president, Roosevelt in March 1944 but had been held in Washington until Boyington could recieve it). On October 4th, 1945, Boyington received the Navy Cross for the Rabaul raid. Boyington retired from the Marine Corps on August 1, 1947, and because he was specially commended for the performance of duty in actual combat, he was promoted to full colonel. Colonel Boyington died of cancer on January 11th, 1988 at the age of 75 in Fresno, California. |