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Gregory Hallenbeck "Pappy" Boyington was an American combat pilot who was a United States Marine Corps fighter ace during World War II. He received the Medal of Honor, a Purple Heart and the Navy Cross. Boyington began his military training in college as a member of Army ROTC and became a cadet captain. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army Coast Artillery Reserve in June 1934. In the spring of 1935, he applied for flight training and enrolled as a U.S. Marine Corps aviation cadet. While serving as a Marine Corps naval aviator with the Pacific fleet, Boyington joined the "Flying Tigers"
Gregory Hallenbeck "Pappy" Boyington was an American combat pilot who was a United States Marine Corps fighter ace during World War II. He received the Medal of Honor, a Purple Heart and the Navy Cross. Boyington began his military training in college as a member of Army ROTC and became a cadet captain. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army Coast Artillery Reserve in June 1934. In the spring of 1935, he applied for flight training and enrolled as a U.S. Marine Corps aviation cadet. While serving as a Marine Corps naval aviator with the Pacific fleet, Boyington joined the "Flying Tigers" (1st American Volunteer Group) of the Republic of China Air Force and saw combat in Burma in late 1941 and 1942 during the military conflict between China and Japan.
In January 1944, Boyington, outnumbered by Japanese "Zero" planes, was shot down into the Pacific Ocean after downing one of the enemy planes. He was captured by a Japanese submarine crew and was held as a prisoner of war for more than a year and a half. He was released shortly after the surrender of Japan, and a few days before the official surrender documents were signed. After his time in the service, he became an actor.
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Tags: Tv Series Guest Star (1), Aviator (1), Died Aged 75 (1), Chinese Military (1), Born In Idaho (1), Television Actor (1), Born December 4 (1), Tv Western (1), Aeronautical Engineer (1), Naval Aviator (1), Aerospace Engineer (1), Tv Guest Star (1), Tv Series Guest (1), Guest Star (1), World War II Veteran (1), Military Aviator (1), Air Force Pilot (1), Chinese Air Force (1), Second Sino-Japanese War Veteran (1), Marine Corps Officer (1)
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