[treetopsandroofs]

Love this story...

“The President of the United States in the name of The Congress takes pleasure in presenting the MEDAL OF HONOR to

MAJOR GREGORY BOYINGTON
UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS RESERVE

for service as set forth in the following

CITATION:

For extraordinary heroism above and beyond the call of duty as Commanding Officer of Marine Fighting Squadron TWO FOURTEEN in action against enemy Japanese forces in Central Solomons Area from September 12, 1943 to January 3, 1944. Consistently outnumbered throughout successive hazardous flights over heavily defended hostile territory, Major Boyington struck at the enemy with daring and courageous persistence, leading his squadron into combat with devastating results to Japanese shipping, shore installations and aerial forces. Resolute in his efforts to inflict crippling damage on the enemy, Major BOYINGTON led a formation of twenty-four fighters over Kahili on October 17, and, persistently circling the airdrome where sixty hostile aircraft were grounded, boldly challenged the Japanese to send up planes. Under his brilliant command, our fighters shot down twenty enemy craft in the ensuing action without the loss of a single ship. A superb airman and determined fighter against overwhelming odds, Major BOYINGTON personally destroyed 26 of the many Japanese planes shot down by his squadron and by his forceful leadership developed the combat readiness in his command which was a distinctive factor in the Allied aerial achievements in this vitally strategic area.

FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT

[The Westerner]

What a great leader he was!

[robowombat]

Boyington was even respected by the Japanese. He literally fell into a passel of them when he bailed out so they didn't consider him a coward for not offing himself. When a Japanese NCO smacked him hard in the face Boyington knocked him out with a right to the jaw and went into pugilist position as he had a pretty extensive boxing record. Of course the Japs beat the crap out him but he kept landing punches as long as he could. This began a weird relationship in which the Japanese alternated between acting like good ole boys always up for a drink of their awful liquor and beating the h*ll out him. Strange folk. Boyington also had picked up enough Chinese and basic Japanese during his stint in China that he could communicate in a rudimentary way that got better the longer he was a prisoner. Few westerners could.