AVG Greg Boyington

The things I have read from his fellow AVG pilots* seem to indicate that he was “nothing remarkable” in his flying skills.

Considering the quality of the AVG pilots who survived their first 10 missions, however, that is nothing to be ashamed of… as they were all “above average”.

I believe (from those comments and his own words on his time in the AVG in his autobiography*) that his time in China had the most impact in terms of being a “school” where he learned the difference between what the Army/Navy/Marines thought about Japanese aircraft and how to fight them, and what really worked… both individually and in group tactics.

These lessons were critical in enabling both his later personal success and in his ability to teach others how to fight and survive in the air.

* I have had both Boyington’s autobiography (the 1977 re-printing) and the 1976 reprinting of Col. Robert L. Scott’s memoir (God is My Co-pilot, written in 1943) since ~1978.

Naturally, Scott doesn’t even mention Boyington, since not only was VMF-214 not yet in the news, but (as I mentioned) Boyington had not made enough impression on other pilots in the AVG for them to mention him to Col. Scott (who joined the former AVG when it was absorbed into the USAAF in mid-1942). Boyington had been at a different airfield when Scott had temporarily flown with the AVG in May 1942, and he had returned to the US (and the USMC) just before Scott transferred.

I have read interviews with a couple of the other famous AVG pilots back when the Baa Baa Black Sheep TV series was on network TV, and they said that he didn’t stand out because they all drank too much, fought each other too much, and had problems with authority. He was as good as them in the air, but not noticeably better… but then they were all better than most (in their own opinion).

My comments were not intended to disrespect him. Indeed quite the opposite. If someone with demons can still accomplish great feats then so much more of a hero they are. I accept that the word “seemed” is misplaced; his men did respect him.

Still, his men seemed to like and respect him.

That, and his combat success, say a great deal about him.
Wartime heroes aren’t there to be role models for us, to be Boy Scouts living clean, honest and sober lives. They’re there to fly, kill and perhaps die.
His men were also facing huge hardships, facing death thousands of miles from home flying over water and enemy controlled islands (far away from the luxuries that UK based pilots enjoyed). That they put up with him says a great deal about him as a leader and perhaps as a man.

He was a local boy from the area where I live…I’d like to point out he wasn’t stupid, he had a university degree.

If you haven’t read it already, read Bruce Gamble’s biography, “Black Sheep One, The Life of Gregory Pappy Boyington”. Seems a controversial figure. Serious Alcohol problem, seemed to fly mostly with a hangover, or just plain drunk, womaniser, always wanting to fight in the mess and someone a bit economical with the truth when it came to number of kills (even in his AVG days) and also with the story surrounding how he was shot down and survived the subsequent crash. But a naturally gifted flyer. I have been trying to compare this book with Boyington’s own autobiography, but haven’t got hold of a copy yet. I’d suggest you do the same. I believe he was in a POW camp with Louis Zamperini, who I believe is still alive. Be interesting to find out what he thought of him. It was on his return as a POW that he suddenly claimed he had scored enough kills to become the Marines highest scorer. Still, his men seemed to like and respect him. Someone, perhaps to have an interesting beer with or not!