Warbird Information Exchange

Posted on www.hyperscale.com today:

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/artic ... E_ID=48808

Apparently the University of Washington student senate has shot down a monument to former student Pappy Boyington, seeing no need for a tribute to another "rich white man." I seem to remember having read that Pappy had a rather rough life after the war and was far from rich...

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Curator - EAA Aviation Museum, Oshkosh, WI
"Let No Story Go Untold!"
http://www.timelessvoices.org

Oops, I see Capt. Lou has already posted the news. Sorry 'bout that.

Zack

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Curator - EAA Aviation Museum, Oshkosh, WI
"Let No Story Go Untold!"
http://www.timelessvoices.org

I'm in the process of reading Bruce Gamble's "definitive" biography of Pappy. Excellent read! I am a Pappy Boyington fan, always have been, and still am even after reading this very frank look at his life. "Rich white man" -- puh-leeze!

It's clear that most, if not all of his troubles came about as a result of his alcoholism, which began during his time in Pensacola learning to fly. It was definitely part of the "culture" at the time, but once he tasted the stuff, Pappy became one of those people who simply could not control himself when it came to drinking. He knew it, and really tried to control his excesses, but as tough as he was otherwise, he was a wimp when it came to standing up to the bottle. Gamble obviously consulted experts to help explain just how the disease affected him. Really insightful.

What's remarkable is how he made it through flight training! Great stories during that era, including how he and an instructor got into such a tizzy about whether or not Greg was perfoming a particular procedure properly that they landed the plane on the satellite field they were using and went at it with fists! This could have been cause for immediate dismissal from the program, but somehow everyone who heard about it kept it from the powers that be. One thing about Gamble's book: he looks hard at the "myths" as well as the "reality", and stories like the fight with his instructor are actually true! Different times, for sure.

At the University in question, Pappy earned a B.S. in Aeronautical Engineering. It was a bit of a surprise for me to find out that he was actually a very intelligent man, not just a "skilled stick and rudder man who had a knack for leadership".

Great book, great man.

Wade

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Website: http://www.wademeyersart.com
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Ahem....

That is, the University of Washington, which is located in Seattle, and not Washington State University which is located over east of the mountains in Pullman, Washington.


Signed, a UW graduate.

Sorry Randy, no offense intended to the WSU alumni. Original post has been edited.

Zack

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Curator - EAA Aviation Museum, Oshkosh, WI
"Let No Story Go Untold!"
http://www.timelessvoices.org

BEWARE, RANT FOLLOWS


Do those people know they ( actually their grandparents) would have been the first killed by the Japanese after the west coast (Left coast) was invaded. Thosebratty kids may not have even been born to even think about a monument to " a rich white guy" -Ha their history education shows.

Heck, San Fransisco (I think) is refusing the USS Iowa as a museum/memorial.

Dick Bong has a whole display complete with aircraft to him, and rightly so.

Pappy was far from perfect, but he was the right man at the right time. He has been one of my heroes since I was old enough to have heroes. He died relatively poor, and almost alone. I still think of him every time I fly. He deserves more than this liberal drivel. Thank God for "flyover country"

Rant off
O2

Probably the same Seattle-based liberal college punks that burn down Hummer dealerships in the name of "less air pollution".

I look at it this way. By choosing to remain oblivious to the achievements of Boyington, the school has, by default, deemed itself unworthy to be associated with Boyington - not the other way around. In core terms of patriotism and sacrifice - either you get it, or you don't. Apparently the "boldest and the brightest" are no longer being turned out of the University of Washington.

If only TuPac or Eminem had graduated from UoW, THEN they'd have themselves a bona fide "stylish" martyr to pay tribute to! More and more I feel that the deep-running traditional values of academia have been effectively usurped by the watered-down flashy sales pitches of pop culture. Challenge the hippy professor's point of view - get an F. Protest at the WTO Summit Meeting - you're a student with a purpose!

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Rob Mears
'Surviving Corsairs' Historian
robcmears@yahoo.com
http://www.robmears.com

Am I the only one here who thinks the Marines should proclaim Joe Foss their #1 ace and take back Pappy's MOH? John Lane where are you?

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Don't touch my junk!!

Jack, I'd like to think that most who post or lurk here already know that Joe Foss is the Marine Corps' #1 ace (or am I mistaken with that assumption?).

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It was a good idea, it just didn't work.

Jack
We all know Boyington’s faults; he wore them on his sleeves so all could see. I think the problem is that the honor would have been shot down even if the Boyington had the record of Foss (her reasoning was that he wore a uniform, killed people in the defense of the USA and World and he was just another rich white guy). This is not so much about Boyington as much as it is about a up coming generation that thinks that the hippies and eco-terrorist are the saviors of the world and anything pro-America is evil and should be stopped in it’s tracks.

Nationalism cannot be down graded and passed off as murderous plundering and racism. When that day comes we are in BIG trouble. I wish I thought that day was far off but I don’t. But that is another rant that Scott would most likely delete.

Tim

Jack
This is also not in any way meant as an attack; just what I see as the real issue of the topic.

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www.tailhookstudio.com

Just another example of how totally out of control the faculty and student government are at many of our universities of lower learning. Political correctness is ongoing and completely insane.

I graduated years back from Oregon State University. At that time it was a down to earth college where people had level heads and common sense. In the years since then it has become a bastion of liberalism and the faculty is populated with a bunch of idiots that would make Hanoi Jane proud.

Now that Seattle has become San Francisco North and the University of Washington is right up there insanity-wise with U.C. Berkeley this crap such as what is happening regarding Boyington will continue and expand.

Look what just happened with the USS Iowa that was going to be an awesome floating monument in San Francisco bay. The mentally ill "Progressives" in the city government managed to scrap the whole plan because they did not feel that the Iowa sent a "peaceful" message to vistors and residents! What a bunch of CRAP!!

Personally, I have had it with political correctness and will fight it ANY time I have an opportunity to engage such idiocy.

No problem Tim, in fact I agree with you.
I just get a waging attack of ire when I here Boyington's name used in the same sentence has the word honor. People have seen to many episodes of Black Sheep Squadron (which makes the movie Pearl Harbor seem true to life!).

This kind of BS from the Pappy worshipers makes me roll my eyes.
In regards to Gamble's bio,

or this

If you want to see Jack vs. the Pappy worshipers check this link. I actually got PMs with promises of bodily harm!
http://www.acepilots.com/smf/index.php?topic=27.0

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Don't touch my junk!!

Must be all the Starbucks those dopes drink.

For some unknown reason, I've always been under the impression that Boyington was part Native American; please correct me if this is a misconception, and obviously no offense is intended to anyone alive or dead of any ethinc background. If it is so, then the "rich white guy" part is even farther off the mark.

Anyways, what a bunch of ingrates....

cheers

greg v.

nevermind, I followed the link and it confirmed it. boy, did it make me mad reading that...

cheers

gv