Medal of Honor for 'Pappy' Boyington

17th October 1943: In a graphic description, the famous 'bad boy' of the US Marine Corps describes how he outwitted the Japanese to ambush their Zero fighters

Vought F4U-1A Corsair of U.S. Marine Fighter Squadron VMF-214.

Major Gregory Boyington (1912 – 1988). Known as ‘Pappy’ because he was so much older than the other men in his Squadron. Boyington had left the Marines to fly in the independent ‘Flying Tigers’ in Burma before America joined the war. He rejoined the Marines in 1942.

In the air war over the Solomons the fighting was as intense as ever, if not more so. One Marine fighter squadron was to make a name for itself with unprecedented successes against Japanese fighters during this period. VMF 214 was known as the ‘Black Sheep Squadron’ for good reason. Led by Major Boyington, who was known to like a drink and could be pugnacious in a bar, the men of 214 followed his aggressive example in the air.