Jack who is this? ...

[Franklin]

[Franklin]

... And who is this guy ....



... He claims he shot down this guy ....

[Matt Gunsch]

The poser who claimed to have shot down Boyington was Mike Kwato. He lived in Chandler Az for a while but dissappeared after being debunked by Robert Aldrich and Martin Caiden. He reappeared in the Seattle area after a number of years, telling the same story, but this time there was no one to stop him as Boyington, Aldrich and Caiden had all passed away.

[whistlingdeath77]

imagine if Boyington was still alive? The questions i would ask him! After a while though i'm sure he'd had enough of me and throw one of those dangerous punches

[Matt Gunsch]

depends on his mood that day. I met Pappy several times and one time he could be nice as could be, and other times he would bite your head off.

[whistlingdeath77]

maybe the booze?

[Franklin]

One time in a very similar photo at Oshkosh he told me "you want my autograph, buy this book!" .......

[Lynn Allen]

I saw him at Reno one year hawking his book and there were no takers that I saw.... Wonder why

[Jesse C.]

Of course that guy did not shoot down Pappy! How could a Chevette bring down Pappy's big Dodge Van! Come On!

[Zachary]

One time in a very similar photo at Oshkosh he told me "you want my autograph, buy this book!" .......

Not naming names, but I heard another famous pilot tell that to a young kid of about 10 or 11 during my first trip to Oshkosh in 1996. That was the first inkling I had of his true character.

Zack

[Steve Nelson]

How could a Chevette bring down Pappy's big Dodge Van!

Well, I once outran a Corsair in a Mustang.

Seriously..about 20 years ago I was driving down the freeway in a 1990 Ford Mustang, when I passed a flatbed truck hauling an F4U (it was just east of Kalamazoo, but I have no idea where the aircraft came from or where it was going..it was a partial ariframe stripped to bare metal.) And my little Mustang only had a four-banger!

As for Boyington, the only time I ever saw him in person was at an airshow in Colorado back in the mid 80s. I couldn't afford his book, and he didn't look to be in a mood to give autographs or have his picture taken.

SN

[Tulio]

Whether Kawato shot down Boyington or not, Boyington was signing autographed copies of his book, sitting next to Kawato, during the Airsho' 81 [Or was it at one of the early Wings Over Houston Airshows? I cannot remember exactly, but I saw them]. Did Boyington ever said anything re: Kawato's claim? Does anyone know for sure?

Just curious.


Saludos,


Tulio

[JDK]

http://www.warbirdforum.com/kawato.htm

[bdk]

Truth be told, I shot down Pappy Boyington. It was an accident. Oops!

[Matt Gunsch]

TJ did it, I saw it on TV the other day