henryclay
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Joined: Feb 5, 2011 19:03:37 GMT -5
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Post by henryclay on Mar 9, 2011 22:44:59 GMT -5
Marine Corps Major Gregory, "Pappy" Boyington, WWII fighter pilot with 28 enemy airplanes shot down before he was captured and spent over two years in Japanese POW camps, will be honored with a film and have an airport renamed in his honor. In recognition of the National Medal of Honor Day on March 25th, the documentary will have its PBS premiere on Northwest Public Television.
Boyington was the leader of the famed VMF-214 Black Sheep Squadron, and a recipient of the Medal of Honor. He was a product of the Northwest; born in Idaho, educated at the University of Washington as an Aeronautical Engineer, and a Boeing employee in Seattle before joining the Marine Corps.
The program will broadcast in Idaho and Washington on KWSU, with showtimes at 1:00pm and 10:30pm on Friday, March 25. That's out of my stomping grounds, but I hope the film will eventually get national distribution. Pappy was a rough and tumble Marine, but a great organizer of men and a fighter pilot's fighter pilot. The Marine Corps lost a real treasure when he got shot down, and the japanese never let on they they had captured him. He was fished out of the ocean by a submarine. A TV series "Black Sheep Squadron" was loosely , , , very loosely , , , drawn from his experiences in the Pacific before being shot down. More at: www.pappyboyingtonfield.com/film
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deziloooooo
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Joined: Dec 20, 2010 16:22:04 GMT -5
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Post by deziloooooo on Mar 10, 2011 0:14:16 GMT -5
I never knew he was captured, surprised they let him live.
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henryclay
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Joined: Feb 5, 2011 19:03:37 GMT -5
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Post by henryclay on Mar 10, 2011 0:51:12 GMT -5
You have simply GOT to be kidding. This HAS to be one of your "tongue in cheek" moments you keep telling us about.
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deziloooooo
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Joined: Dec 20, 2010 16:22:04 GMT -5
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Post by deziloooooo on Mar 10, 2011 3:04:33 GMT -5
You have simply GOT to be kidding. This HAS to be one of your "tongue in cheek" moments you keep telling us about. No I did not know he had been shot down and was POW for twoyears by the Japanese. I now know plus a lot more about him as I googled him, wicki had a good story on his life , before , during the war, his accomplishments and a few other articles were read by me. I knew the TV series was mostly BS, made for viewing , I knew he flew with the flying tigers and then made his name with the Black Sheep Squadron. I don't believe they were that much a off the wall unit as was depicted but I guess in some ways they were a looser unit. What makes you so surprised that not all aspects of the Col's career would be known?
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