Idaho's "Pappy" Boyington: Black Sheep Squadron WWII legend

Added: 2026-05-27

[00:00:00]At Idaho News 6, we are celebrating America's 250th anniversary by taking a look back at some of the things and people that made Idaho part of the American fabric. I'm senior reporter Roland Bars. And Idaho, in fact, Cordelane was home to one of the most infamous and greatest aces of World War II. He flew an airplane very similar to this one, the P40 Warhawk. His name was Papy Boington, and he was the leader of the Black Sheep Squadron.

[00:00:30]Gregory Boington, better known as Papy.

[00:00:33]He wrote a memorable saga in aerial combat in the South Pacific in World War II. At the start of World War II, Greg Papy Boington had just left the Marine Corps after punching an officer and facing a possible court marshal. He joined the Flying Tigers with the American Volunteer Group in Burma to avoid legal action and became a legend.

[00:00:54]>> Really an interesting guy and very accomplished guy. But uh yeah, he had a temper.

[00:01:00]>> Sue and John Paul met Boington several times in the 1970s. John grew up reading about Papy's triumphs.

[00:01:08]>> John read about him since he was a kid.

[00:01:11]I mean, you know, he used to sit in his band classes with P books about Papy.

[00:01:16]>> Years later, John and Sue opened the Warhawk Air Museum in Nampa with the type of plane that Boington flew as their centerpiece. According to the Marine Corps, Boington shot down two Japanese planes in a P40 Warhawk with the AVG. Then he returned to the Marine Corps and shot down another 26 aircraft with a Navy Corsair before being shot down himself on January 3rd, 1944. Papy spent the end of the war as a P.

[00:01:44]>> Pretty rugged place. They half starved you and slugged you with ball bats and their fists and make you stand at attention while they beat you with a ball bat or hit you in the face with their fist.

[00:01:58]This went on practically every day we were there.

[00:02:04]>> He would later receive the highest military award, the Medal of Honor for his notable feats, but never tempered his disdain for military brass with whom he often clashed. military geniuses and the people that spend their whole career having never said yes or no to anything unless someone told them what to say.

[00:02:22]And also a large percentage of the brass uh are trying to take the glory.

[00:02:29]>> John and Sue met Papy several times because he would frequent the air shows where they would fly their P40.

[00:02:34]>> His reputation was just so out there that you it was it was exciting to meet him. The Pauls say Papy would sell copies of his book, often sitting opposite the Japanese pilot who claimed to have shot him down.

[00:02:48]>> There was Papy with his booth selling books and right next to him was a Japanese ace pilot selling his books.

[00:02:57]Papy Papy's was Ba Black Sheep and the other man, the Japanese man's was Bye-Bye Black Sheep. and they literally sat there staring at each other selling their own books, you know. So, >> I'm Greg Boington, one of those valiant mercenaries.

[00:03:14]>> Papy's book was so popular it was turned into a TV series in the 1970s.

[00:03:21]>> We are poor little lambs who have lost our way by Happy Boington passed away from cancer in 1988 at the age of 75. Here at Heroes Park in Meridian, the walking trail has trail markers dedicated to local heroes.

[00:03:48]And one of them is Papy Boyington. He was chosen by local school kids who obviously know their history. For America 250, I'm senior reporter Roland Baris, Idaho News 6.