Greg "Pappy" Boyington on "To Tell The Truth"
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- Опубліковано 2 жов 2024
- Originally aired July 2, 1957, (disregard the flubbered title work) and shown on the Game Show Network December 27, 2008. GSN provides tons of classic and modern game shows and has an awesome online gaming site.
I do not own the copyright of this material. This video appears by Permission of the Game Show Network.
I'm going to pin this here to clear something up. Many well meaning comments insist that military members are *REQUIRED* to salute the MoH recipient. Some have, over the years, suggested that Pappy lied when he was sworn "To Tell the Truth". Obviously that answer deflected at least some of the panelists.
The saluting of a MoH recipient by military personnel is *NOT* a regulation, law or in any other codified language. It is a tradition. It is highly encouraged (practically speaking you'd better) and anyone worthy of even a modicum of respect will render a salute, regardless of rank. It is thought that it's required by so many people and that's what made Pappy's response truthful yet elegantly misleading.
"Required" is very specific.
Kyle- servicemen salute the RANK, not the man. Thus they do not salute an MoH recipient. They will show the utmost respect for the person wearing it of course. However, the ONLY way to know if someone had been awarded that medal is if they are wearing their ribbons or medals. That is, dress uniforms. The military is a tactical grouping of men and women so they wear appropriate attire and nothing as garish as medals.
@@ghandtlg5898 You are correct sir. Yet there is a tradition of saluting a MoH recipient which, as you pointed out requires dress uniforms and is typically attached to a ceremonial circumstance. That said, so many people have commented here that it is required and for that reason Pappy cheated. Some by implication and some out and out write the same. Thus this pinned comment.
Is it at least possible that Pappy was being totally truthful? 1955 was two years before I was born, but even in my days as a Marine officer I never heard that it was a tradition to salute MOH recipients. How common could this tradition have been in 1955? Anyone know? Every other answer by Pappy seemed totally candid and honest and I see no reason why he would want to try to be dishonest here.
@@mediamannaman He was completely truthful, Hy Gardner (IIRC) asked if it was required. Pappy answers with words to the effect of, "Not that I know of." That through Hy off and he voted incorrectly. I suspect Kitty had an idea when he answered he'd met Margaret Chung. As @Ghand TLG pointed out that it would require their wearing of a dress for someone to even know that they were a MoH recipient.. if they didn't know that about them.
Traditionally the president salutes first when he hangs the medal on the recipient. That's about as disparate of a ranking as you can get. It is a tradition in limited circumstances but its not like the military officers goes around rendering salutes to privates because they're aware of their MoH.
Many will mention his drinking habits, or the doubts on his tally, I say that a man who fought against Japan in China, then was handed command of a Corsair squadron, then went to a Japanese pow camp, and who came out of all this alive, deserves every form of respect, so he has mine.
I completely agree , Lincoln sent grant a keg of whiskey , as long as he wins battles , out of my oun
Pocket I would give papa boyington a 5th of the best whiskey money could buy.
He's not the only world war 'll hero I would stand for a drink , with pride.
Pappy was tough guy he was in a POW camp where torture and starvation was the norm he said his health improved because he wasn't able to drink so much alcohol.
@@Mike-01234
It takes what it takes the program says.
Pappy is the perfect example of the requirements for high office. Technical skills and management… Pappy was much loved by his men but a hopeless manager
What Pappy went thru would drive anyone to drink to feel better. Screw the naysayers, they probably never fought for our freedom like he did.
Boyington once joked that he was the only POW whose health improved while in Japanese captivity, he said "They kept me sober for a year and a half."
In his memoirs, Boyington remarked that he was treated well by an elderly "grandmother"-type woman who would sneak to him extra food and necessities. In fact, if I recall correctly, Boyington gave her most of the credit for being able to survive being a POW for almost two years.
His autobiography was mostly about his struggle with alcohol. He certainly was a hero.
I grew up watching Baa Baa Black sheep as a boy. I joined the USMC out of high school. After boot camp and A school I was stationed at MCAS Yuma Az and attached to VMA214 Black Sheep Squadron. As a boy I dreamed of being a US Marine and being a Black Sheep. I got to live my childhood dream. Thank you Pappy for leading and being the CO of a bunch of hell raisers. Semper Fi! To my Marine brothers and to my VMA214 Family.
In Marine Corps boot camp we would always say, "Goodnight, Chesty, wherever you are".
The people in that audience more than likely didn't have a clue who Gregory "Pappy" Boyington was or the pure hell he went through to preserve American freedom. What a truly brave and tough man he was.
Goodnight, Pappy, wherever you are and Semper Fidelis, my big brother!
I bet the people in the audience did know and respect who he was, The war was only 10 years over and likely many of the men in the audience had served during the war.
Semper Fi
I idolized him as a kid, but he wasca drunk bs artist.
@@glennrishton5679 okay, I give up. How did you know he was at boot camp in '55?
@@teller1290 Oh that is easy to answer. I didnt say that.
The TV show was from 1955.
Pappy Boyington, what a legend. Seeing him on TV in 2022 is such a treat.
I met Greg Boyington in the summer of 1978, at a lecture he gave at UNLV. I was 12 years old. after his lecture he had a question and answer period. half the room was full of Navy Brass and the other half Marines. My mother and I were the only civilians in the hall. Most of the questions revolved around different fighting techniques used against the Japanese. I finally had a chance to ask my question. "Did you give the information briefing to the Army pilots who shot down Yamamoto?" I think every eyeball in the place turned my way. There was a long pause... "Well yes son I did. But I don't think I have spoken about since that day." All eyes became riveted on Col Boyington. He went on to explain his part in their mission briefing, how to ration their fuel and what the local landmarks would look like to help them with their navigation. After his lecture was over he gave me a copy of his book and invited myself and my mother out for breakfast. (The lecture started at 7:00 AM) which we happily accepted. He lead a rough and tumble life. But he earned his honor and dignity in the end. RIP he was at the end of it all a good man to have known and spent time with.
@David Baker, since I have posted this little rinky dink capture from the GSN I have heard some powerful stories related by commentators. His very granddaughter (step granddaughter?) has honored me with an exchange and has privately sent me videos of Pappy reading to his grandkids. I have heard from Black Sheep and many, many people that had their lives touched by the great Greg Boyington.
Then, every once in a while, a powerful account of his exploits or someone's especially special encounters with him. I have met and talked with a squadron mate and sometimes wingman and have heard from aviators that knew him. So after nearly 800K views, one might expect that I wouldn't be impressed or surprised by the revelation(s) of someone who deigned to honor me with a view *AND* take the time to comment.
This is historical gold. I had no idea of his involvement in that coups but then, who else was better equipped to brief on ranges, locations, waypoints and tactics. Thank you so much. I think, once life stabilizes I'll put together a VLOG of the most impactful comments on my post. Yours will be right up there. What a fantastic learning point you have provided.
I am jealous of your actually meeting him and grateful that you have shared that meeting with me. Thank you.
@@KyleCowden my pleasure. He went on to describe the color coded paper they used for secret and top secret orders/information. Yellow vs Pink. The Commander of the Army Squadron showed him his orders and asked for help. I grew up in Las Vegas and had a middle school librarian who had a collection of books on WWII. She ended up giving them to me. In one of those books there was the story from a newspaper reporter who wrote about the mission post death of Yamamoto.
That's a great memory. Thank you for sharing it
Awesome! He was one of my childhood heroes. Up until the day he died I would have given my left testicle to be invited to a meal by this man. My dad flew Mustangs in Korea, but truth be told I would have given my other testicle to fly a Corsair
You lucky thing!!!!
Surprised the audience didnt give Pappy a standing O...I certainly would have.
different time back then studio audiences were encouraged to applaud but not get too raucous as these things were basically filmed live and there wasn't the technology to edit as much out as can be done today. i'd be shocked if Pappy was treated in any way other than as he deserved to be. (and yes i agree with his deserving a huge round of applause)
Pappy is one hero from WWII I wish I could have met. I've read his book 3 times over the years. You might be gone Pappy, but you are never forgotten. My salute to you. Semper Fi!
He signed my book.
Drunken, conniving, fighting but a hell of a pilot
Pappy fought in WW II
@@stevestringer7351 pappy also fought in every bar he went to.
I met him once in the early 80's at an airshow. I talked with him for about 10 minutes and no idea who he was. Greg was my childhood hero (still is) but I thought he looked like Robert Conrad for some strange reason. lol
Every American owes a debt of gratitude to these men for the sacrifices they made for us. Pappy is among the greatest aviators of all time.
There are a class of men I'll never insult. Pappy is in that class.
so other than them, you insult everyone else?
@@RubyBandUSA That's not a bad question. Normally I avoid such troll like comments. Answer is I never insult real soldiers. However, in life most people are clueless. Most are also ignorant, severely under-educated, naive or criminal. Justly, some minority of people are truly good humans and have found real wisdom or are slogging out the journey the majority avoid. Now, I answered you honestly. It's your turn for introspection and honesty with me. Which category are you in?
@@RubyBandUSA what a stupid question....get a girlfriend or a hobby to occupy your time
Col. Boyington was a real-life hero of mine, I used to love the TV series "Black Sheep Squadron back in 1977-8 and used to watch it regularly.
Did you know he played Gen Harrison Kenlay in 3 episodes
Col "Pappy" Boyington will always be a hero in my book!
His fellow pilots didnt appreciate how downtime was portrayed from what I heard.
We still watch it now on the free TV
" We are poor little lambs who have lost our way ! "
Despite his shortcomings, I’m sure as hell glad he was on our side
We all have shortcomings, none of us are prefect.
Shortcomings? Lived through hell of war hell of being a POW and in Japan which is extreme and being a real hero. Who knows what went through his mind each day and I'm sure drinking helped
What shortcomings. That's what makes him phenomenal! Semper Fi!
Maybe what some view as shortcomings are just another way to justify your lifestyle? He was a human. He lived. I hope he enjoyed it, and given his credits I think he did. You don't do what he did if you do not fully understand it, and to me, fully understanding something is living. Why be in the dark? Folks who live in the dark just point fingers, what else is there to do. Pointing is not the same as having direction.
Sometimes shortcomings have an advantage.
He hated desk duty so much, he had someone else do all the squadron paperwork so when he was interrogated, he had nothing to tell.
Good or bad in his personal life, to me and every American I am proud to know he was part of our fighting force and Thank you Pappy
I met Mr. Boyington at the EAA air show when I was around 10 years old, where he signed my book of WWII fighter aircraft. My dad kept telling me who he was and what he had done, and I was so star-struck, I don't think I said a word!
Same here, I met him at the then Champlain air museum in Mesa Az.. Great guy with plenty of stories for a 12 yo kid he didn’t need to give the time a day to.
I met him in Reno at the air races.
I met him several times there too...He was a Man's man for sure also met the man that shot him down
Do you still have the book?
In the early 80's I went to the warlord meet at Madera, CA. In the row of vendors was a tent with Pappy selling and signing his book. A couple of tents down was Saburo Sakai ,Japanese ace, doing the same. Every once in a while one or the other would step out and hurle insults at the other. "I SHOT YOU DOWN,, YOU COULDN'T HIT THE BROAD SIDE OF A BARN" ,ect. At the end of the airshow my buddy's and me stayed around and got drafted to help push airplanes around. When all was done and we were walking back to our car , off to one side saw Pappy and Saburo climbing into the same motor home. Always remembered that. Shared experiences build strong bonds even among former enemies
Great story!! Thanks for sharing that!! The brotherhood of arms!!
Great post and thank you! Most don’t have a clue about Boyington, much less Saburo Sakai.
And that is why I love war heros. It is all perspective. But at the time they both were willing to die. I think to do what they loved (flying, and let's be honest shooting down other planes). Anyone who risks their life to follow intuition is definitely grokking reality. Or ignoring it. Same thing (hint you worriers). Poppy is my new hero, for today. And Saburo.
This should be pinned as the last comment, perfect point to end the 'discussion' on Papy as well as any war heroes legacy.
TY
That same time period he was at MCAS El Toro signing autographs and little kid blurted out how many kills you have Pappy? He calmly replied we called them “victories” back then son. Wish I could have spoken more with him but he was real popular then.
Pappy a was a great Marine and fighter pilot as well.
Semper Fi Pappy, and RIP MY BROTHER.
This is some nice footage of Pappy Boyington. There aren't a lot of pictures of him on the internet. I wouldn't read too much into his "treatment" on the show. That was their format, and he was probably happy to participate. One helluva Marine.
The panel would often chat with contestants after the show.
Show me a bum, and I'll show you a hero.
Read his book if you haven't.
A true pleasure to view this clip.
Thank you.
@USA#1 !! & it's his modification of an already existing saying coined by F. Scott Fitzgerald.
@@Plisken65 yep...that's correct.
It’s amazing some of the stuff that people write. That one moron who said that Pappy’s 28 kills were exaggerated is a total jerk. He almost certainly had more than 28, but those were confirmed kills. As far as fighter pilots being short that is not true either. Depending on the plane some of the cockpits had more room than others. I am 6’2” and was not the tallest person in any of my squadrons. Boyington was a living legend in the Corps.
Zeee Man that is all true and thank you for your service.
The US claimed to have shot down more than twice the number of planes that the Japanese even had. Not lies, but in a firefight, nobody would know if someone else also put lead into the enemy plane. So I'd guess that everybody's count could be a little high. Some were way off, but maybe not Pappy. Then again he was squadron commander, and how many young pilots would argue with him?
Most all kills were confirmed kills, but so what? When you have dozens of planes flying around, and maybe 5 or 6 that shot at plane, how can you know how many were killed, and by who. We examined both Japanese, and German records after the war. . On some raids on Germany, the US claimed 300 downed German planes, but the German's actually lost 103 planes on that day. It was just as bad in the Pacific, maybe even worse. On Guadalcanal, and Bougainville, the US had fighter planes shooting at the Japanese bombers, we had ships off shore shooting up at the planes, and wild fighters chasing and shooting at the Japanese bombers and fighters. On some raids, we'd claim 30 planes were shot down, but of 50 sent out, all but 15 returned to Japanese bases. Few lied, but I doubt that most had as many planes shot down, as the thought they shot down. There were double and triple claims. I think Joe Foss may have shot down more, and so do more than a few Marines. You can read books on the claims vs actual, if you want.
The usual story was they didn't sit in them, they put them on. Kinda like me in a tank.
Read the AAR's. Doesn't leave much room for argument.
What a wasted opportunity... after finding out who the real Pappy Boyington was, they didn't even talk to him again on the show. They let a Medal of Honor winner walk off the stage without even saying "thank you" to him.
I'm sure they did off camera
Those were humble times & people just did their jobs w/out expecting recognition. These "I love & esteem me" days are different in that regard & not in a good way. When people thank me for serving, I thank them for paying me twice a month to do it. They always appreciate that.
@@jeffchristie9561 when people thank me i tell i just did my job.
Exactly, you'd want to shake his hand too. Despite his problems, he was the real deal.
Yeah, I was wondering how they would treat him at the end as I was watching, and they turned out to be about as self-absorbed as you'd guess.
I am sad that people like him were almost forgotten after only 12 years.
The internet has made sure their sacrifices can never be forgotten.
Agreed
AMEN to that!
pauljohnson7may I remember Pappy from the tv show starring Robert Conrad
Teri Anne Beauchamp
Back in the '70's, right?
Wow, I'm surprised too. 1950's .... John Wayne played Claire Chennault in the movie "Flying Tigers"
I also met 'Pappy' at an airshow on Long Island which was under a deluge of rain. He was selling his book from a booth in a hangar and my daughter and I spotted him and introduced ourselves as fervent fans of the "Baa, Baa, Black sheep" series, just going into it's nearly cancelled second season. I asked him why NBC was so reluctant to go ahead with the series and he replied, best as I recall, "...Awgh, those guys wear their pants too tight..." He was serious, I don't remember us chuckling!
whalesong999.
In the 80s when I was in the Marines I was in a squadron, everyone wanted to be in VMA 214. The Black sheep. Pappys old squadron. I ended up in 311 Tomcats. A pretty cool squadron. The baseball player Ted Williams flew in our squadron in Korea.
There was a benefit to being smallish as a fighter pilot. Easier to get in and out of tight spaces like a cockpit.
In 1969, I enlisted in the Marines and was assigned to the newer VMA 214. They had an old sheep outside the office building until it went deaf. Very interesting job with some excellent Marines as co-workers in the "Blacksheep"Squadron. Never heard about the history till I began working there.
@@windsorpatb you guys were in A4s at that time. In the 80x we were STILL flying them
I was Aviation Ordnance VMFA 214 '71-'72 USMC...A-4 Sky Hawks (Scooters)
At that point the guy was a real living legend. My dad was a Sea Bee in the Philippines and we watched this episode. Totally impressed.
I didn't go through all the comments, but PLEASE....
Don't say, "Medal of Honor WINNER!!!" They're "recipients" or "awarded to"!!!
A lot of them went to their widows...
As a veteran (USN '81-'91), I thank you...
And for the rest of us, I’d like to say “Thank YOU, for your service.”
@@FastEddy1959 It was an honor to Serve.
It was unfair for me, after reading Pappy's book. They got a couple big strapping men and Pappy was just a regular sized guy and unassuming, but real heroes come in all shapes and sizes, and Greg was a hero.
Most of the best fighter pilots do not look anything like what Hollywood has convinced us a fighter pilot looks like.
"The eyes are the window to the soul."
His eyes gave his identity away for me.
We need Heroes today as much as we did then. Pappy was a shining example.
And now we got Fuckhead celebrities
When he said Idaho, knew it was him. Met him when I was a young kid on the Farm.
Me and Gramps saw a white Piper landing on the dirt road in the middle of our 100 acre field.
No noise all quiet!
We drove out there and he was sitting on a wheel having a smoke.
Gramps asked him what happened. He blushed and said with a Chuckle...Ran out of Gas! LOL
After he said his name Greg my gramps told me to shake his hand.
Said we had a legend with us?!
After the plane was full of gas. He took both if us up for a ride. Was strange looking down at the Farm. But still strong in my mind, was how nice this Man WAS!!
my uncle Frank Tinker was a friend of Pappy Boyington and also a ww2 pilot .
he was in the same prison camp at the same time as Pappy & Louie Z.(unbroken) they were friends
i think there is a few Popular Mechanics on the web where Frank wrote for them and had some stories.
Frank would visit us in the summer on his way to see his war buddies. He would tell us about his helping friends patrol the AZ border on horseback for smugglers and illegal border crosser's
that was in the 80's and to this day we still have a border issue...
That's a great story.
@@wowiezowiepowie Thanks for sharing that story!
My God you luck bugger! Thanks for sharing the story.
WOW!
This was great! Boyington was a true hero.
I got to spend a good amount of time with Pappy when I was 10 yrs old. He knew my best friends dad was a member of the Confederate Air Force. He stayed with them in my hometown back in 78. We went to Pine Bluff, Ar and stayed at the Holliday INN. We went to an air show there. We stayed 4 days . My friend and I bought toy machine guns. We were messing around with them. Pappy was sitting smoking in a radio shack type office at the airport. He ask for one of the guns. Pappy played combat with me. Ha! what a hoot!! He stayed at the same hotel with us. I also met Ensign George Gay there. He was shot down at Midway and was dipicted in the movie. Wonderful man. The last night we stayed I saw Pappy in a very sad state. He was being dragged to his room, stumbling drunk. My hero fell a bit that night. My own dad was an alcoholic and I thought famous pple would not do that. As I grew and got older, i realized what he went through. Also, his family had suffered for it Im sure. His grandson stayed with us. He was not a very nice kid at the time. I am now 50 yrs old. Been through a career, cancer, disability. I can understand why people can crack. Papp was a prisoner of war. He was one tough man, but weak in other ways. Ive had the priviledge of meeting Gen. Paul Tibbits of the Enola Gay, got to ask questions about the bomb and Oppenheimer. Great, nice man. I consider myself blessed to have met these ordinary me that did extraordinary things. They were just guys who served and did what they had to. May God grant them peace in eternity.
Bombasticbuster Wow! What a memory to have. My “celebrities “ have always been aviators. And I have met a lot of them.
My dad, Col. Norman Walker is such a hero but few know his name. Turns out though, he knows a lot of my hero’s and I have several personally inscribed and autographed books thanks to him.
Thank you for sharing. Col. Boyington’s grand daughter has commented on here. Very nice lady.
Thank you for mentioning George Gay, the "Lone Survivor of Midway. What VT-8 did at Midway has always been downplayed by the USN. Not once did I meet someone while on active duty who knew ANYTHING about Midway. John Doey Waldron (ex IC2-USN-Desert Storm/Shield)
A lot of them suffered from PTSD
My dad was taken POW on Battan and did 31/2 years
They were eye greatest generation for sure
Definitely!:)
Bombasticbuster, I was at the same airshow in Pine Bluff Ar. I met Pappy, and got George Gay's autograph. They were definetly, the greatest generation.
Thank you posting this Kyle. As kids we used to love to sit at his feet and listen to his stories. It's wonderful to hear his voice again.
Amanda Boyington-Lippa I am honored that you appreciate it. I never met him but wish I had. I did meet Robert Johnson, one of his squadron mates and one of (at the time) 5 remaining Black Sheep. He said Pappy seemed like he couldn't take off without shooting something down.
Wow. Thank you for that, Amanda. You're a lucky daughter! I have tears now. ~Bomba
Amanda Boyington-Lippa your family sacrificed much this country rest in peace clear skies
Kyle Cowden treasure those memories record them somewhere so they have never lost I wish I had done that with my father
Must be his granddaughter, and probably by marriage.
"Boyington had three children with his first wife Helen Clark.[17] They married after his graduation from the University of Washington in 1934. She was 17 years old; they had met at a university dance. One daughter (Janet Boyington) took her own life;[27] one son (Gregory Boyington, Jr.) graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1960 and retired from the U.S. Air Force as a lieutenant colonel. His youngest child was Gloria Boyington.[28]
During World War II, his three children were placed in the charge of their aunt and grandmother after Boyington divorced Helen when he returned to America in 1941 after serving with the Flying Tigers. He charged his ex-wife with neglecting the children. Boyington married Frances Baker, 32, of Los Angeles on January 8, 1946. Marriage records showed Boyington had been divorced in Seattle in 1941 and Baker won her freedom from a previous mate in San Francisco in 1932.[29]
His third marriage was to Delores Tatum, 33, on October 28, 1959. It was the second marriage for Tatum, and the third for the 46-year-old Boyington.[29] Boyington and Delores had one adopted child.[30] He married Josephine Wilson Moseman of Fresno in 1978. This marriage was his fourth.[31]"
I met him when I was 8 years old at Glenview Naval Air Station... I said "Mister can I shake your hand?" He looked me square in the eye and shifted his Kool cigarette from one hand to the other and shook my hand... I will never forget that.
I saw him at the Reno Air Races in 84.There was alot of people trying to see him up close, I was one of them... He was signing his book & on the other end of the table was the Col. who shot him down.He was a great Am.,pilot,hero.He didn't like term,but he certainly was one &a fine example of same.I always regretted not getting his autograph...He said it was 28 &I believed him...
Met Pappy in the 80’s not long before he passed. I was just a kid, but I still have that autograph today. He was truly a great warrior.
Polly Bergen was a fox back then.
I met Pappy Boyington in the 80s at a Reno Pylon Racing event. What a outstanding United States Marine. It was men like him that kept me free as a child. Thank You Major Boyington.
I met him in 1977 at El Toro.
B O Y I N G T O N
Get his name right.
I was in VMFA -214 Black Sheep (A-4s Sky Hawks) at that time in 71-72 USMC Aviation Ordnance...
@@wehrewulf of OO o lol Koo Koo ok OO OO
hey thats what I said when dump got elected
Loved the show..watched it many times. My father went to the South Pacific after Pappy was shot down. He never talked about the war. He loved flying the Corsair. Thanks
My father was a Marine on Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Saipan and Tinian. On Guadalcanal he saw Pappy’s counterpart Joe Foss another Ace. Dad was in awe of the fighter pilots. Years later I was at a gathering of Pacific theater fighter pilots and each told me they were in awe of the Marines fighting sometimes hand to hand in the jungle
Ordinary men did extraordinary things
Interviewed him in about 1978 at a collegiate fly in at Oklahoma State. I have read his book twice and he wrote his story very well and honestly. He was very thoughtful and was very humble. Like many true warriors he was always on the edge of serious trouble with the desk bound wannabes.
While I never had the honor of meeting him, in 2016 I did meet Lt. Col. Richard Cole who was Jimmy Doolittles co-pilot in the Doolittle raid on Japan. He was 100 at that time. Got some great photos and autographs. These guys are true American heros and great examples of what the military can produce.
mrweeby1961 Wow. That is amazing. I’d love to meet anyone of the raiders. That is a fantastic story of courage. Knowing it was a one way mission.
I also met Col Cole at the WWII Museum in New Orleans. I think he was 101 at the time. I quickly went to the museum bookstore, bought his book and had him autograph it for me.
I too had opportunity to meet Col.Cole. I was working on the B-25 Yellow Rose...he walked in behind me and looked at safety wire I had just tied....he pointed out his signature and Ask if I knew it...he then introduced that he was copilot with Jimmy Doolittle. I still have baseball cap from 65th anniversary gathering
I made a collage of photos in a large frame on a tripod and my daughter did a presentation her senior year of high school with it. I didn't mention before that she was with me to meet this American hero and was really impressed. When seeing an old photo of Col. Cole with the rest of the crew she replied "He was cute!" lol.
I thought the other two guys were to tall to be fighter pilots and the one with the grey hair looked too much like you would imagine a Hollywood hero to look like. Only the real Pappy had the kind of humbleness that I would expect from a real war hero.
I read the book about him and had a seen a picture of the real boyington also if you ever seen the old tv show black sheep robert conrad played boyington there is a vague resemblance
Pappy Boyington "humble?" Funny. Usually the height is a good indicator but not always. My dad was in the 49th FG, 8th FS and they flew P-40s, then P-38s, then P-51s. One of his tent-mates was about 6' 4", a nice kid from Oklahoma. I actually talked to him on the phone...he towers over the guys in the pictures
"Show me a hero & I'll prove he's a bum" - pappy boyington
Soldiers are people, too. RIP Pappy and thank you so much for your service.
That man was NOT a soldier he was a MARINE....
Calling a Marine a "Soldier" is an Insult....the Army has Soldiers...
Got to touch his Corsair. You can too. It's in the Pensacola Naval Air Station museum.
Lyle Shiffer It’s not the same BUNO but it is exactly the same model and painted just like it. I think his is sitting on a reef somewhere in the Solomons.
That museum is my favorite place near my favorite beach in the world.
They didn't have assigned aircraft. They piled onto a Jeep & jumped-off at available planes as they rolled along & came upon them. You took whichever one happened to be there when your opportunity came about. They didn't put their names on them then, either.
He was shot down and taken prisoner. I doubt you saw "his" Corsair.
@@jeffchristie9561 He flew 883 until he was shot down.
I met him at the 1979 Reno airshow and was able to talk to him and have him sign my copy of his book. He was a easy man to talk to.
Donald Potter that's freaking awesome!!! Your a lucky guy
sons of the pioneers
music
Funny, I met him in '79 at an airshow in Denver. Me and my friend Larry (both 13) brought our books which we had read cover-to-cover. We told him Black Sheep Squadron was our favorite show, and that he was our hero. He wouldn't sign a copy of his book unless we bought it there, which I think was triple the book's list price. Larry's dad, a man of very modest means, offered to buy us both copies, but we both said no. Pappy dashed two young boy's dreams, and afterwards, Larry's dad became my hero.
Well, in deference to the apparently poor experience you had, I would bet that he was under contract from the show to only sign the books "they" had for sale. It might be that he did not even get a cut from it.
I learned of this from the more current (figuratively) science fiction conventions where the actors were forbidden to sign anything except the sponsored picture or book.
My goodness..!!! I had no idea that I would come across Pappy Boyington...I am Australian..my mother taught us how desperate the situation was in our country during WW2...and how we depended on U.S. forces..as well as our own..I remember reading about Pappy..and through Anzac Day marches and documentaries I have always followed the men and women who were heroes...And, I admit to a passion for flying .. as a passenger in whatever aircraft I can get..You will always have my utmost respect Pappy..as do all the men and women fighting nowadays..we owe you a lot...
Say what you want about the man, he proved himself a savage warrior in classic dog fighting. Like very few others. And lived to tell, like very few others
Why can I make a comment on this
@@jmcd3970 Shut up.
What a true American hero that deserved the recognition and praise he received. Wish there were alot more like him today.
Pretty savvy of Kitty to ask #2 if he knew Margaret Chung - that clearly nailed it for her, and rightfully so.
I read and pondered Pappy's autobiography as a kid in the Seventies; it probably helped influence me to USMC. RIP, devil dog.
It was obvious number 2 was Pappy. There's no mistaken him for anyone else. The other two didn't even look like him.
Kevin C. I agree it was obvious to us. But back then, they read papers and maybe caught a newsreel or two. If they had happened to see him or a picture, it may have been once or twice.
I can't count the number of books and videos I've read on the man since the 70s. Nevermind the internet since the 80s (yes there was an internet and I was on it) and the countless articles and videos I've seen since then.
Funny though, my wife still gets amazed/amused when I recognize the Boyingtons, Richtofens and other aviation greats on site.
Great to see Pappy. A local tavern owned buy Turk, has a wall full of famous autographs from Hollywood's heydays. Pappy's impressed me the most, Turk was proud to call him a friend.
I remember seeing Pappy in the parade in Puyallup Washington as a kid in the '70's when BaBa Black sheep was going. He looked right at me and waved. Just a kid then,
Great men like Pappy would be appalled if they saw the US today.
Semper Fi Pappy- You were a Great Man
Guy was a friggin legend even in 1955.
Had the pleasure of meeting Pappy and his wife at a MCAA meeting in Atlanta, he was one of a kind.
I nailed it, read his book about the Black Sheep....loved the 70’s Black Sheep Squadron show
I had no idea who Pappy Boyington was but spotted him as number 2. He came across intentionally as pretty clueless. Also he had that derelect look that suggests prisoner of war. As for being forgotten, I'm willing to bet he turned down more dinner invitations than you can shake a stick at.
Pappy impressed me as the most knowledgeable... maybe because I've seen documentaries on him and knew he had the correct answers... #1 knew the least...
He was penniless and hard-up, doing low jobs battling alcoholism and forgotten, but as he says in his book, you can always do something.
What a classy generation. love it.
merica
I wish people would stop saying that he/she "WON" the Medal of Honor. No one "WINS" it. It is awarded. Secondly, the name of the medal is "Medal of Honor" not "The Congressional Medal of honor"
Yes, it is earned. However, if you are the recipient, it is awarded to you. You do not "Win" it.
The Medal of Honor was created during the American Civil War and is the highest military decoration presented by the United States government to a member of its armed forces. ... The first Army Medal of Honor was awarded to Private Jacob Parrott during the American Civil War for his role in the Great Locomotive Chase.
You better check again there slick... It IS "The Congressional Medal of Honor". It's approved by and authorized by Congress. They "Win" it by defeating those who seek to do harm to their brothers in arms. Damn pogues
Wolfsden EnterprisesLLC Darn right. It was named that in our blue jackets manual.
I've never forgotten his quote when asked about the MOH. “Show me a hero and I'll show you a bum.”
How to tell an idiot who didn't retire or received multiple Article 15's,
"They "Win" it by defeating those who seek to do harm to their brothers in arms"
Wrote to him once. Got a nice letter back but i was at mcrd san diego when it arrived.
You know, that's funny. My wife and I knew him in sight. The only thing I can figure is that it was before his resurgence of celebrity and the 50's did not have the visual media we do today.
I think I read that book when I was in High School, 30 + years ago...good read. Thanks for watching.
I met Pappy at an air show in Ogden UT Hill AFB, I told him I knew he was raised in St Maries ID about 30 miles from my hometown. (He was born in Cd'A Id and they have renamed the Coeur d'Alene airport, Boyington Fleld in his honor.) Very nice gentleman, he was seated near a Corsair, I loved these and the way the wings folded up for space on a Carrier. I stayed as long as they let me.
Thank you for the video Kyle! I got to meet Pappy Boyington around 1980 or 81. He was signing autographs at an air show at Falcon Field in Mesa, Arizona. My dad bought my brothers and me a print of a painting depicting Boyington shooting down some Japanese planes. Pappy signed the print for us boys and I think we got to shake his hand. There was Japanese guy there signing autographs too, claiming to be the guy who shot him down. I can clearly remember Pappy telling us boys, "That guy is claiming he shot me down but I don't know who the hell that guys is" Hahaha. I wish I could say we still have the print but it's been lost to the ages.
I think I met him at that same airshow as well. I always thought it was about 82 or 83 but it may have been the same one. My dad and I were there doing RC plane demonstrations. I met Greg and had a rather lengthy conversation and I didn't know who he was untill my dad asked on the way home "how was it talking to your hero". Baa Baa Black sheep was my favorite show but I thought he looked like Robert Conrad. I was so broken hearted after that.
I knew that Col. Boyington was from Idaho only because I have the entire series of the Black Sheep Squadron on DVD with Robert Conrad playing the part of Col. Boyington. I just fell in love with the Corsair when the series came out in the late 70's. Very good show by the way.
And people who "hate" on patriotic heroes both men and women, should stop and think before inserting their foot into their mouths because if it wasn't for us military members of the Armed Forces, those closed and evil minded people would thank us for their FREEDOM OF SPEECH that we have fought/bled/died for.
GOD BLESS THE U.S.A.
The while as good as it was,was inaccurate on how the Black Sheep were portrayed,they were were not drunks,hacks,screwballs,or those awaiting court martial.They were mostly unassigned,new or replacement pilots,looking for a home.
Donna puckett Amen. Jesus bless you.And thank you🇺🇸🎉
Corsairs were built in akronohio in proud of pappy an my hometown
Dngas about Conrad, Loved the planes.
Did you think W K Stratton was a cutie?
My father was a Marine fighter pilot flying from the same bases (2) on Bouganville Island. He arrived there just before Boyington was shot down, and was one of those sent out to search for him. Dad said he was a real hell-raiser.
As for claims of "kills", both sides had inflated claims that sometimes were on the border of ridiculous. Comparisons after the war of loses and claims showed few shot down all that were claimed. It is now thought by many who investigated, that the true top Marine Ace was Joe Foss. They believe that Boyington's total was, in truth, 22 to 24. The Japanese actually suffered from the inflated claims of their pilots. The high command took as true the silly claims brought to them and acted as if victory was almost assured. The Japanese bomber pilots once claimed to have sunk an "Aircraft Carrier", for instance, which, in fact, was a floating dry dock!
I have heard the argument that Boyington's kills with the AVG totaled two, not the six he claimed. At issue is whether the aircraft destroyed on the ground counted. Their contract was for a bounty on all Japanese aircraft destroyed and the ensuing argument with Chenault is what precipitated his acrimonious departure from the Flying Tigers. That said, the USMC counts them in their official records. I am hesitant to look back 70+ years through history with an eye towards revising it. Either way and at the lowest estimate, he's still a quadruple ace.
Most historians agree that over-claiming kills was endemic on all sides, especially in the south Pacific when there were fewer witnesses on the ground and the wreckage sank to the bottom of the sea.
Boyington's name is often mentioned for false claims, but it seems to me that probably every high-scoring pilot was guilty of over-claiming to a certain degree, given that claims far acceded actual losses sustained.
The original AMERICAN BADASS
James Fleming Ethan Allen, Lewis and Clark (who had less of a chance at success than the moon missions) Stephen Decatur, Joshua Chamberlain, Davy Crockett, Teddy Roosevelt, Eddie Rickenbacker... Yes, Boyington was a badass, but the list was pretty long by the time he was born.
James...I think it was Chesty Puller who said: (paraphrase) Take me to the brig, I want to see some real Marines.
That sounds like Chesty.
James Fleming how could 5hey not no who pappy boyington was he was all over the news in w w 2 bull shit
It does seem funny they wouldn't know him.
The book, " Baa Baa Blacksheep" by Boyington is a must read for anyone interested in WW2 aviation. Highly Recommended.
I have his autobiography. He signed it when I was 12 in California. My grandfather was a rear gunner in a Dauntless SBD and won the DFC. 214 flew cover for his squadron over Rabaul. I love his book and will cherish it forever.
I_I dag gum.
Laura Holland Isn't that what "Pappy" thought he was joining up on a SBD For a Zero but it was the Japanese rear Gunner that GOT HIM? GOTTA FIND THAT BOOK , now that I've read you comment 😉 and read it again. Thanks for the memory's! 🙄
Laura Holland Germany after the war 1945
We had it in our home library as well: "Bah Bah Black Sheep". Sadly it was lost decades ago during one of our moves. And while I never saw this particular episode of TTTT, I remember watching the series.
I met Pappy Boyington in 1977 at the Oshkosh Air Show. I was only 9 years old but I was a huge fan of the TV show based on his book and I had a copy of the book with me. He graciously autographed the book and was very personable. He seemed much larger than life to a kid that age. He was a true war hero as were many others from that generation. Today's youth can't imagine the sacrifice those men gave to this country.
I never got the chance to meet him but I worked in for a central valley Sheriff's ofdice in California where Pappy was occasionally arrested for PC647f (Drunk in Public). One of my associates knew him quite well from these encounters. They ALWAYS treated Papoy with the utmost respect. Charges were never filed and a local Naval base was contacted. They always sent a senior officer, usually a Commander to pick him up and take him home. My buddy said he could be a hell of a mean drunk but the jail staff adored him. They also said he was a hell of a nice guy once he sobered up. It's seems the greatest of heroes are often flawed. I like them better that way.
he had to have suffered from ptsd
I met Pappy accidentally after going into a tent at Oshkosh, may have been 1980, during a rain storm, got in a line of various concession sales and he was autographing his book. I was shocked, blurted out something like, "Pappy, I read your book!" I was an idiot not buying the book and autographed it.
"What is tempura?" 🙄😒 What did Polly think the Japanese fed prisoners of war between beatings? Good grief.
@gaelic1of9 is absolutely correct. Boyington was correct as the salute of a MOH is traditional, not required and as the question was phrased, he was truthful. Which did manage to throw the bloodhounds off a bit...LOL
Thing is folks, you can never tell who will be the TIGER and who will be the SKUNK (as in yellow.) Some brag they will do this and that, others not even sure they won't freeze up. Big guys, little guys, fat, slim, young, old. You just never know till the stuff-hits-the-fan.
I have no doubt Boyington did what he did (good and bad.) Go look at Bong, McGuire, Audie Murphy, Leland Diamond, .. heck Alvin York, the country hillbilly with misgivings about the war (and I say that with respect, for he was a good as man as any) who became a real tiger.
So yes, Boyington was brave. He had guts and he didn't quit. He surely would laugh, or maybe get mad, at these snowflakes with their safe spaces today.
And more than that. Some days you can be a hero, and take your chances. But if you take chances every day, your parents get your MOH.
Martin Caidan wrote a book about the 8th AF that included the tail about a disgusting little bastard gunner who was recommended for a MOH for shooting down 6 fighters on a mission as I recollect, but it was downgraded because he was a reprehensible little POS. He did the deeds, but still sucked, so yeah.
You must be talking about trump because he never got the CMH.
Great video.
I had the honor of meeting Pappy. Boyington at The air show in Oshkosh, Wisconsin in 1981.
Did you know that when the National Air And Space Museum unveiled the F 4u Corsair after restoration, the museum had invited Mr. Boyington to see the airplane? While the group walked away to another aircraft, Mr. Boyington snuck back to the Corsair and autographed the landing gear door. The museum didn't know what to do about it, and decided to just go with it. His signature was regarded as priceless.
I understand that because I purchased an autographed poster from him at Oshkosh
Did you know that the inverted gull wing design was so that a strong enough under carriage (IOW not too tall) could provide clearance for the prop. They also had a bad tendency to go into assymetric stalls when turning about the carrier, low and slow. They added a little piece of angle iron to help the right wing spoil and not thro the plane inverted. Once that was done they were cleared for use on carriers.
They were USA and designed for carriers, but the U.S. Navy refused them... until the British developed a working technique for landing them on a carrier... coming in at an angle...
That is absolutely true. It was an oversized prop. The Japanese hated the corsair f4u..... they called it "screaming death" if I recall.
I met and talked with one of the remaining Black Sheep at the Naval Aviation Museum (one of the docents liked us and arranged for us to remain after hours). I was so wrapped up in my conversation I didn't even know she was filming. God Bless her! When I find a few moments, I'll dig it out and post it.
Such a different America, and permanently long gone now. When even TV entertainment was at a higher level, decent, well behaved, thoughtful. In our memories that country will have to remain.
Old folks with fading, and highly selective, memories ALWAYS get nostalgic about how good it was in their younger days. How much tougher they were. How hard they worked. Hand-me-downs clothes and shoes. How they had to walk 20 miles to school, uphill, both ways, in the snow, because school busses hadn't been invented yet. And how they can't figure out how to make the clock on the VCR stop flashing 12 o'clock all the time. Same same but different with every aging generation since jeebus was a mess cook on the ark.
The irony here is us old farts gushing about wholesome television back when Murica was Great, apparently. A show based on telling lies. Brought to you by Big Pharma. Geritol "tonic" makes you feel great.....after smoking a pack of non-filter Lucky Strikes, which 4 out of 5 Dentists recommend. 😄
It is true regardless of his rank wither he is a private or an officer that a Medal of Honor winner is always saluted first .
Sheryl Courtney That is true but it is a tradition and not a regulation so answering, “not that I know of” was truthful while being brilliantly evasive.
And a MOH wearer can request an honor guard meet him at any entrance to any American military installation. They never really do ask for it, but I heard a story of a sergeant that received a lot of unnecessary gruff from a guard, called the base commander and demanded a full honor guard meet him at the gate the next morning. And it was waiting for him.
It is a military courtesy, a tradition started during parade review when the recipient would be standing with an officer during the pass in review. Most do not wish any special treatment, and most Medal of Honor recipients are awarded the medal posthumously.
As a courtesy. It is not a requirement
Very disrespectful that they did not allocate 1 minute to speak with Pappy & let him talk a little. Not every day there is a CMOH winner among you.
Just ran across this video while browsing. Gotta add my 2 cents: went through the MarCad program as a cadet (L/Cpl rank) in '60-'61. Got my wings in Dec '61 and was assigned to MAG-12 in Hawaii. Upon arrival there I was assigned to VMA-214 Blacksheep. After checking in I was told to get ahold of a book "Baa Baa Blacksheep" as a required reading item for all newbies checking in. That was my introduction to Pappy's bio. Long story short". Did a 3 year tour as a Blacksheep and went overseas to Japan in '65 and from there down to Nam on my 1st tour there. While there, Pappy somehow finagled a ride to ChuLai where the Blacksheep were flying combat missions in the A4 Skyhawk. I had the privilege of shaking his hand at a happy hour one night. Every pilot there at that time made sure to meet and greet Pappy. It was a great morale boost for him to be there. What a treat to actually shake the hand of a legend in my time. Will never forget that. RIP and Semper Fidelis, Pappy!😢
Great book! Read it many times as a kid. Still remember most of it.
Marvin Schachter was a lawyer and a Colonel in the Marine Corps Reserve. Before transferring to JAG, he too was a USMC pilot.
Semper FI !!
TOP GUN MARINE PILOT, PAPPY
As soon as I saw # 2 I knew it was him. He was one my heros growing up.
And Pappy Boyington autobiography he stated "there toughest battle I ever fought my own alcoholism."
I was 9 years old when this program first aired. I watched this show every week with my parents and sisters. It seemed to "big city sophisticated" at the time.
Now (in 20-20 hindsight) it looks silly. The entire set was about the same size as a living room. The furnishings and background looked like someone tacked it together in a couple of hours with plywood.
Also, back then, even the host of the show had to "peddle snake oil" like Geritol (called "Damm-it-all" by the Firesign Theater comic group.). How embarrassing!
Knew what Greg Boyington looks like so a real no brainer. I understand the attitude on how they treated him. 3 years after the Korean war wrapped up, and people were a lot more reserved back then.
It is common for military members of all ranks to salute a MO recipient when the medal is being worn when in uniform.
My favorite Pappy Boyington story is about the time he was on patrol near a Japanese base and the Japanese tried to trick him into flying lower so they could try to shoot him down by speaking English. He could tell they were Japanese because the English was too correct and he said: "Come on up and get me, you yellow bastards."
that's a Marines marine no matter what the officers rank when the Congressional Medal of Honor holder walks in the room everyone stands and solutes
+pinbret It's a tradition, it is not required by regulation.
pinbret It's just called The Medal of Honor,not the Congressional Medal of Honor
So many morons can't even get the MOH name right. It is NOT the Congressional Medal of Honor. The correct name is "Medal of Honor." Congress doesn't have anything to do with it.
it is the MEDAL OF HONOR not Congressional
Saw a SSgt in Okinawa with the MOH ribbon on his utilities in '73......only one i have ever seen
There will always be THE Pappy Boyington in my memories, but, I SERIOUSLY doubt we will EVER see his like again!!!DOC Mike USN
Please note the question was phrased with the words "must salute" , thus his answer is absolutely correct. Neither my Uncle ..a Navy pilot nor I ,a FMF Corpsman ,would be required to salute...but to have failed to do so would have tarnished us...and speaking of tarnish.... It is my opinion that the University of Washington needs to have all federal loans eliminated...if they have so little regard for the hundreds of thousands lives that gave them a country ....they are terrorists in the making
Pappy Boyington would be kicked out of today's 'politically correct' military.
True AND we probably would lose for the same reason, I hope it is turning back around now ;
If we had CNN and MSNBC etc we would have lost the war anyway.
It isn't turning around, sadly. Marines are even running in tennis shoes, really. I've even seen Army Airborne and special forces running in tennis shoes. When I talk to guys at the Mall, none were even issued tennis shoes.
we were fighting a possibly existential event, callin' Rube! We have not fought that sort of fight since and have been much more selective. I don't know that that's been a good thing.
He almost was in his day. The very essence of a fighter pilot.
Pappy was a consultant on the Black Sheep TV show with Robert Conrad playing Pappy. Pappy once told Conrad "I wished you had been in my squadron." Conrad said "I would have been honored to fly with you, Pappy." Pappy said "No, I wish you had been in my squadron so I could beat your ass." Pappy was a bit of a scrapper and loved to fight.
david letterman great show, wish a cable station would bring it back to air.
Conrad always had a chip on his shoulder. Still alive in 2018!
No, he always had a battery on his shoulder.
I dare you to knock off this Eveready!
Men like these are few and far between these days.
As many have already mentioned... They treated him like just another guest contestant... That man had been through Hell, a REAL Hero, just surviving as a POW in Japan, at a time when 70 or 80% of the POW's held by Japan never made it one year. As Retired military myself, I find it shameful that, even back then, a time when everyone had to serve, that he was treated just like a no body... Shameful! RIP Pappy!
Actually I`m embarrassed that a CMH recipient was subjected to actually being on a game show where others have to guess who is the real Boyington. Must have been very degrading for him. I have followed his history from the late 70`s with his input on Black Sheep Squadron and yes he was someone who had his demons...having said that, he and the Flying Tigers did what they did in WW2 with almost no support, no dispute and they deserve full respect for what they accomplished. RIP Pappy and all the Flying Tigers. Thank you.
Sampson Ramm , maybe. I spoke with Robert Johnson one of the last surviving Black Sheep. He said one thing about Greg Boyington was that he was very self effacing. He might of enjoyed himself, hard to say with that deadpan he carried.
*****
Yea I do, dosen`t make the humiliation any less
*****
Of that I can`t say for certain, having never met the man. I can only voice what I felt, not what I thought he felt.
***** Agreed, and I don't think he would have done anything he didn't want to do, and would have balked at special treatment.
LOL. Geritol. I remember that nasty crap back when I was a kid.
Snake oil
So, did it make you "feel stronger...fast ?"
My father in law liked Geritol. My mother in law said he got "frisky" when he drank it. I don't know if it made him feel stronger fast but it did make him horny. Now that I'm old enough to try it they don't make it anymore.
Ted Mack Amateur Hour
My dad and I had the privilege of meeting and talking to "Pappy" at an air show many years ago. He signed his book for us.
Audie Murphy was small. I've watched some video documentaries about some of our Vietnam warriors, such as Jerry Shriver. Nothing exceptional in their builds. Just men. Saw a video on competitive marches between different nations. USMC came in fifth. It was said by a competitor that they had too much muscle -- too much weight. Combat isn't won in the gym.