Earlier this month our community came together at Lincoln High School for the unveiling of a memorial to honor Gregory “Pappy” Boyington. Pappy, was a Lincoln graduate and an American combat pilot serving the United States Marine Corps during World War II. He received both the Medal of Honor and the Navy Cross. One of the many highlights of the ceremony included an F4U Corsair fighter plane that flew overhead. | Tacoma Public Schools

Gregory “Pappy” Boyington was one of World War II’s most daring and unforgettable fighter pilots. A Marine Corps legend, he earned the nickname “Pappy” for being older than most of his men, but his leadership and bold flying made him the heart of the famous Black Sheep Squadron. Flying F4U Corsairs in the Pacific, Boyington scored 26 aerial victories in just a few months before being shot down near Rabaul on January 3, 1944. Captured by a Japanese submarine, he endured over 20 months in brutal P