Pappy Boyington: Fighter pilot, Sioux Indian, Medal Of Honor winner, POW and "Black Sheep"
Written: May 31 '04 (Updated Jun 09 '07)
Product Rating:
Pros: Outstanding autobiography by one of America's greatest World War II pilots.
Cons: No illustrations; language; not a politically correct book (which is fine with me).
The Bottom Line: Thoughtful, intelligent, well-written autobiography by Gregory "Pappy" Boyington, the Marine Corps' top fighter ace of World War II. The basis for the fictionalized TV series "Baa Baa Black Sheep."
Don_Krider's Full Review: Gregory Boyington - Baa Baa Black Sheep
Colonel Gregory "Pappy" Boyington was a lot of things --- a Sioux Indian, a college graduate with an engineering degree, a Marine Corps fighter ace, a member of the legendary Flying Tigers, an abused Japanese POW, a Congressional Medal Of Honor winner and a single parent raising three children --- but most of all he was a human being dealing with life as best he could.
He was everything American, this man who is "officially" credited with 28 "kills" as a World War II fighter pilot (including six as one of the Flying Tigers flying against the Japanese over China prior to the U. S. entering World War II).
Most would classify him as a hero. Boyington had no time for heroes or authority figures. In his 1958 book autobiography, "Baa Baa Black Sheep," Boyington says, "If this story were to have a moral, then I would say, 'Just name a hero and I'll prove he's a bum.'"
The book was on the U. S. best-seller lists for over a year and became the basis for NBC-TV's "Baa Baa Black Sheep" TV series (later re-titled "Black Sheep Squadron") from 1976-78. Boyington was "technical consultant" on the mostly fictional TV version of his life and was portrayed by actor Robert Conrad in the series.
The man:
Boyington was born December 4, 1912, spending his youth in the states of Idaho and Washington. He actually went to college as Greg Hallenbeck, using his father's last name. After college, having discovered that his alcoholic "father" was actually his stepfather, Greg Hallenbeck took on the name of his birth father and became Greg Boyington.
Boyington overcame an early life in a poor, dysfunctional family to become a good student. He studied engineering at the University of Washington, graduating in 1934. He joined Boeing after graduation, working as a draftsman on the XB-15, which would evolve into the B-17 "Flying Fortress" bomber of World War II.
During the first of his four marriages, he lied about his marital status to join the U. S. Marine Corps Reserves so he could train to become a pilot under the 1935 Aviation Cadet Act (applicants were only accepted if they were single). Boyington left his wife and newborn child to train to be a pilot in Florida (he later moved his family to be with him, but didn't "advertise" that he was married).
Boyington developed a love of alcohol and piled up huge debts. The man who became the Marine Corps' top ace in World War II barely got out of flight school, but when he did graduate he became a pilot on the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown.
That's where the troubles began (or got bigger) for Boyington. His first wife, an alcoholic like him, divorced him, but the courts awarded him custody of three children (a daughter later committed suicide; a son became an Air Force officer).
Toss in $4,000 in debts in 28 states and this often absentee father trying to make a living on military pay (a Marine officer at the time had to pay for his own uniforms) grabbed at the chance to make some extra cash.
It is at this point in Boyington's life that Boyington largely chose to begin his autobiography --- he admits to all the above, but the details are limited ("Black Sheep One: The Life Of Gregory 'Pappy' Boyington" by Bruce Gamble looks in detail at Boyington's entire life, for those interested).
The book:
"Baa Baa Black Sheep" by Gregory "Pappy" Boyington is a 374-page, unillustrated paperback from Bantam Books (also available in hardcover).
A Top 10 best-seller in its 1958 release that spent over a year on the best-selling book charts, the book has been issued and reissued time and again (coinciding with the TV series in the late 1970s, and again in the 1990s; it remains popular today, since the TV series recently was rebroadcast on a regular basis by cable TV's History Channel).
Boyington, despite some unsavory aspects of his life, was a fascinating, intelligent and brave man. As a writer, he is "colorful" in his language and, I believe, pretty honest about his life --- making the book a fascinating read to a military history buff like myself. Critics have said he fudged some details, but I found the book believeable and fascinating to read.
The Flying Tigers:
Boyington reveals a number of little details about becoming a member of the American Volunteer Group (AVG) that became known as the Flying Tigers (the subject of a memorable John Wayne war epic, you may recall).
As Boyington tells it, the administration of that great liberal Democrat Franklin Roosevelt didn't officially want to fight Japan (one reason the nation did not go to war when the Japanese sank the gunboat USS Panay in Chinese waters on Sunday, December 12, 1937, with American survivors strafed in the water by Japanese pilots, was because the nation's military wasn't ready for war yet), but wanted to secretly have pilots who could take on the Japanese if war did break out.
The Flying Tigers (who flew P-40 fighter planes with giant shark teeth painted on the front of their planes to scare Japanese pilots) were mostly American military pilots who "resigned" the U. S. military (Boyington was assured that if war did eventually break out with Japan, he could rejoin the Marines at his old rank, but was sworn to secrecy about the deal, he says) and flew secretly under U. S. command (they were supposedly under Nationalist Chinese control and paid by the Chinese, but Boyington's story is that the money actually came from the Roosevelt administration which pulled the military strings of the Flying Tigers).
Candidates for the Flying Tigers were told that fighting the Japanese ("Nips" as Boyington refers to them here) would be easy because the Japanese people didn't know how to fly and couldn't see straight ("they all wore glasses, don't you know?"). He quickly learned the Japanese were brave, expert pilots as he saw Flying Tigers explode in flames and crash around him in combat.
For Boyington, the key incentive of being in the Flying Tigers was not only to test his flying skills, but the fact that the Flying Tigers' members were paid a bounty of hundreds of dollars per Japanese plane they destroyed (whether it was in the air or on the ground). The Flying Tigers would eventually lose 500 planes, but claimed to have shot down thousands of Japanese planes (Boyington claimed six of that number, which the U. S. Marine Corps accepts as fact, but only two of his "kills" were confirmed by the AVG).
World War II:
When war erupted on Sunday, December 7, 1941, with the Japanese attack on U. S. naval and air forces at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, the United States entered World War II. In China, the news for these battle-hardened pilots hit like a ton of bricks when a pilot named "Harvey" spread the news.
"Everyone had been asleep in our glass-covered barracks," Boyington writes. "Now lanterns were moving about in the darkness. Then I heard Harvey's excited shouting, and he said: 'Pearl Harbor's been attacked! Pearl Harbor has been blown up! Get everybody up. Hurry. Take off as soon as possible."
Boyington thought, "Harvey has flipped his wicket," but soon discovered the awful truth. "This was no gag," Boyington writes, "this was real. This was war. It was coming in over the radio."
Boyington eventually quit the Flying Tigers in 1942 (earning a "dishonorable discharge" for breaking his contract with them) and returned to the Marine Corps.
The Black Sheep Squadron:
The Marines took Boyington back. A pilot with actual combat experience with the Japanese was perfect for a nation at war once again (it had, after all, been 23 years since the last "big war" of World War I ended in 1918). Most American pilots being rushed into the war were unskilled with little flight time; most were in their early 20s in age, so the older Boyington became known as "Pappy" or "Gramps" to his young pilots.
It wasn't to be a pleasant war. Most of Europe and a large part of the Soviet Union (including much of present-day Russia) were already under the boots of German and Italian soldiers. France had fallen in 1940. Great Britain was on the ropes.
Within days of Pearl Harbor, Germany and Italy declared war on the United States, joining Japan in its hatred of all things American. This time, the U. S. and Great Britain would have to take on most of the fighting to free the world of tyranny (the League of Nations, the precursor to the United Nations, having failed to prevent World War II).
And Boyington was in the thick of it. He soon had command of a Marine unit that became known to the press as "The Black Sheep Squadron." The name came from a famous children's poem ("...we're poor little lambs..."). As their commanding officer, Boyington was a pilot who admits to drinking before some missions, though he was never caught doing so.
The entire unit, always outnumbered by Japanese aircraft, performed well. Boyington gained 22 more "kills" (the military term for shooting down an enemy pilot) which are described here in details that offer a pilot's view of a dogfight: of flying so close to an enemy that you can see his face, of seeing enemy bullets rip through your plane's wings, of seeing your best friend's plane explode and of getting revenge on the enemy who had shot down your buddy.
Medal Of Honor:
War is hell. Boyington lived it. He eventually received the Congressional Medal Of Honor for shooting down five Japanese planes in a single day of combat. He received the Navy Cross for bravery as well.
Those 22 "kills" during the war, when added to his six "kills" made as a Flying Tiger, gave Boyington a total of 28 "kills," which earned him the official Marine Corps' title of "ace of aces" (an "ace" designation is given to a pilot who destroys five enemy aircraft in combat, something rarely achieved).
Describing combat:
To understand war, you need to study it. To read Boyington's autobiography, you feel you're in the cockpit with him on a mission. Consider his last war-time flight. Boyington and his wingman recklessly see a flight of 10 Japanese fighters and charge them (wrongly thinking the rest of the Black Sheep Squadron is behind them to support them).
Boyington and his wingman (a pilot in another plane flying in close support of Boyington's aircraft) then discover that the 20 planes coming up behind them aren't Americans, but are more Japanese. The two Marines are facing 30 Japanese fighters.
Boyington shot down a plane (his wingman cheers, "Gramps, you got a flamer!"). His wingman got another enemy plane. Boyington splashed yet another. Then Boyington's wingman's plane started smoking before crashing into the Pacific Ocean, followed all the way down by firing Japanese planes.
Boyington's description of what happens next is priceless. He had shot down his 28th Japanese plane of his career and seen his friend killed --- now he was next:
"I could feel the impact of the enemy fire against my armor plate, behind my back, like hail on a tin roof," he writes. "I could see enemy shots progressing along my wing tips, making patterns."
Diving to sea level in a smoking warplane, Boyington's plane burst into flames (he writes, "The sensation was much the same as opening the door of a furnace and sticking one's head into the thing"). Barely a hundred feet from the ocean, he was forced to bail out.
Parachuting from such a low altitude, he hit the water hard. Above him, four Japanese planes strafed (machine-gunned) the water around him hoping to kill this American who could no longer be a threat to them (he ducked under water whenever the Japanese fired on him).
Prisoner of war:
Boyington's luck wasn't going well that day. He waited a couple of hours before opening his life raft, fearing the Japanese would target the raft --- he stripped his clothes off, which were weighing him down, so he could remain afloat. He tells of discovering how badly wounded he was only when he got in the life raft:
"...I hadn't noticed it while in the water, but I certainly noticed it now," he writes. "Pieces of my scalp, with hair on the pieces, were hanging down in front of my face..."
He also had part of one ear blown off. His arms, legs, shoulders and groin had been pierced by Japanese bullets. His left leg had a "gash larger than my fist." Luckily, the U. S. government had provided him with a tiny first-aid kit and the wounded warrior began patching himself up as best he could.
He began floating in high waves, described as "like riding on a train," in hot temperatures. He was in the water at least 8 hours. He talked to himself. He talked to his bullet-shattered watch ("I'll have all day to fix you up"). He wondered why his raft had only one paddle ("which fit over my hand like an odd sort of glove") instead of two paddles.
This most unreligious of men, who does admit to attending services of various faiths with his buddies over the years, thinks about God and religion as he floats around God's swimming pool.
Then a sub surfaced. A Japanese sub. And Boyington became a prisoner of war. A Japanese sailor says to him in English, "You don't have to worry about anything as long as you're on this boat" --- causing Boyington to think to himself, "That made me feel about as comfortable as the old turkey does before Thanksgiving."
Dead man walking:
Boyington's tale of life as a Japanese prisoner of war is fascinating. The U. S. Marine Corps considered him dead. Knowing the stature of the Marine Corps' greatest ace now in their possession, the Japanese didn't notify the Americans that they were holding him as a prisoner, perhaps hoping to use him in some future deal with the United States.
Boyington's is a tale of abuse and torture. Blindfolded. Forced to march with a dozen Japanese riflemen who clicked their rifle bolts to assure him they were a firing squad. Being forced to walk barefoot on coral reefs. Interrogations.
Being denied medical attention for his wounds unless he talked, he found that he could "play the game" by making up a story and sticking to it everytime he was questioned --- as long as the Japanese thought he was "a good prisoner," the torture was less and he might get fed once in a while.
He also found that some Japanese soldiers were decent fellows, curious about the United States and willing to share alcohol and cigarettes sometimes in exchange for tales of Boyington's native land.
After the war:
Boyington's tales of his time as a POW are priceless, told matter-of-factly. He never seems to feel sorry for himself or his situation.
After the war, when he makes his way home, he ponders things. He seems, writing 13 years after the end of World War II, to have made peace with his enemies, hoping his fellow Americans (after suffering more than 400,000 military personnel killed in the four years of U. S. involvement in World War II) can also find peace with their former enemy.
"...I do hope we can show as much sportsmanship in our victory as the Japanese have shown in their defeat," he writes.
The post war distress:
The post-war years are detailed by Boyington here. No doubt suffering from what we now call post-traumatic distress disorder, Boyington gets a "medical discharge" from a "grateful" Marine Corps (due to his wounds during the war), dives deeply into alcohol addiction, goes through multiple marriages, smokes heavily and can't hold down a job until late in life.
In the end of "Baa Baa Black Sheep" by Gregory "Pappy" Boyington, our hero who would never admit to being a "hero" seems to find himself. He takes us on that journey to self-realization in the book's final chapters.
In the end, Boyington notes, "I have learned that it is good for me to be criticized, right though I think I may be. Others have a right to their opinions. This is the only way any of us can progress."
He also concludes, "Some are going to doubt the author's sanity. They shall be partially correct, for, God knows, I have practiced insanity on numerous occasions for twenty years. But the most beautiful part of it all - I am the guy who knows it."
Final recommendation:
"Baa Baa Black Sheep" by Gregory "Pappy" Boyington is a very enjoyable read. Consider that this book was written in 1958 and you won't find political correctness here.
The curse word here and there is to be expected from a military man, I think, and though "Nips" as a term for Japanese may be offensive, it was commonly used in literature and films of the time --- in fact, Boyington's later reflections in the book on why the past differences with Japan should be put aside and the interests of peace put firmly in front of us as a nation show him to be a very intelligent, introspective thinker. His words ring true and I highly recommend this book.
Boyington died January 11, 1988. He is buried in Arlinton National Cemetary.
Why a long review? Hopefully to create some interest in the book for a new generation. You won't read about Boyington in high school or college American history books, but his story is very American and his first-hand experiences in war (and afterward) are well worth reading. I probably wouldn't have been aware of his deeds if I hadn't been drawn to the book at the age of 19 in 1976 by the TV series of the same name.
I would suspect that any veteran, especially those who have struggled through combat, might find some comfort in reading Boyington's story, filled with the highs and lows of an American life, and this would make a good gift for the veteran in your life. For others, additional insight into what military life really is can be gained by reading the book.
Fans of the TV series, "Baa Baa Black Sheep" (1976-77)/"Black Sheep Squadron"(1978) will get an eye-opening look at real war. The series was fun, but fictional (everything from scantily-clad nurses to rock star Peter Frampton, a fan of the show, aiding downed pilots came up in various episodes).
Trivia note: "Black Sheep" was an unusual TV series (gaining a 25 percent audience share opposite #1 ranked "Happy Days" was major combat victory in itself for producer/writer Stephen J. Cannell). Series star Robert Conrad ("The Wild, Wild West," "Hawaiian Eye") played Boyington and the two became good friends.
The series was famous for having the children of TV stars of the past as cast regulars, such as Dirk Blocker (his dad was Dan Blocker, who played Hoss on "Bonanza") and Jeb Adams (son of Nick Adams, who played TV's "The Rebel"). Actor James Whitmore, Jr. ("The Boys In Company C") is the son of actor James Whitmore ("Them!"). Other cast members like John Larroquette ("Night Court") and Larry Manetti ("Magnum, P. I.") went on to greater TV stardom.
On the web:
My review of "The USS Arizona: The Ship, The Men, The Pearl Harbor Attack, And The Symbol That Aroused America" by Joy Waldron Jasper, James P. Delgado and Jim Adams (a book recommended by Walter Cronkite and Clive Cussler): http://www.epinions.com/content_244703137412
My review of "Facing Fearful Odds: The Siege At Wake Island" by Professor Gregory J. W. Urwin (details the heroic last stand of the Marine garrison at Wake Island in December 1941): http://www.epinions.com/content_168364445316
My review of "Theodore Roosevelt, Jr.: The Life Of A War Hero" by H. Paul Jeffers, the story of the son of President "Teddy" Roosevelt, who was awarded the Medal of Honor for valor during World War II: http://www.epinions.com/content_185615486596
A Medal Of Honor Winner page for Boyington: http://www.medalofhonor.com/PappyBoyington.htm
Planes & Pilots Of WWII page: http://home.att.net/~C.C.Jordan/
Navy Fighter Pilots Of WWII page: http://www.acepilots.com/usn_aces.html
Another WWII Ace, Chuck Yeager: http://www.acepilots.com/usaaf_yeager.html
American Aces Of WWII: http://www.acepilots.com/index.html#top
The greatest American Ace of WWII, Richard Bong (with 40 "kills"): http://www.acepilots.com/usaaf_bong.html
German Luftwaffe Aces Of WWII (some with hundreds of "kills"): http://www.acepilots.com/german/ger_aces.html
Erich Hartmann, with 352 "kills," was Germany's greatest ace of WWII: http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Hangar/5460/hartmann2.html
A page about the Black Sheep Squadron: http://www.airpower.maxwell.af.mil/airchronicles/bookrev/gamble.html
World War II Aces: http://usfighter.tripod.com/ww2aces.htm
Hiroyoshi Nishizawa, with 87 "kills," was Japan's greatest ace of WWII: http://usfighter.tripod.com/hiroyoshi_nishizawa2.htm
Just for fans of the TV series:
A website for the series with an episode guide: http://www.freewebs.com/blacksheepone/blacksheepthetvseries.htm
Robert Conrad (Golden Globe-nominated for "Black Sheep Squadron"): http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001066/
John Larroquette (who played Bob Anderson in the series; went on to win four Emmy Awards for "Night Court" and recently starred in NBC-TV's "Happy Family" series): http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0488662/
Larry Manetti (who played Bobby Boyle in the series; he also is a veteran of the original "Battlestar Galactica" series): http://www.larrymanetti.com
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
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