"Pappy" Boyington Protest Creates Medal of Honor Resolution

Harlingen, Texas, April 6, 2006:  A headline in the Seattle Post Intelligencer on April 5, 2006 read ÒUW Students Vote for Medal of Honor MemorialÓ.  The story below that banner announced that a vote had been taken and the student government had approved a resolution to honor all University of Washington alumni who had received the Medal of Honor.  It also recounted an event in mid February that was the forerunner of the successful resolution.  That was an attempt Òby a UW student to create a memorial in recognition of Gregory ÔPappyÕ Boyington, a pilot with the Flying Tigers and later with the Marines in World War II.Ó

For those whose recall of history is becoming foggy, Colonel Boyington was awarded both the Medal of Honor and the Navy Cross. In part, his military biography reads, ÒHe was the total victor in many more than twenty-six aerial combats during World War II in the Pacific and Asia.  ÒPappyÓ Boyington was finally shot down and captured.  As a prisoner of war he suffered brutal and horrible prolonged torture at the hands of the Japanese before being released at warÕs end.  Colonel Boyington died of cancer on January 12, 1988.Ó

The University of Washington student government rejected the proposed memorial resolution. Comments made by some students questioned, ÒIf the university should honor a Marine who killed people, or a rich white man.Ó Those words became public and generated hundreds of protests of outrage at both the students and the university.

Much of the wrath, particularly from veterans was directed more at the university than the student population.

Retired Marine Colonel Tom Hobbs of Harlingen, Texas is the Director of Admissions for the Marine Military Academy.  He says, ÒWhen I left the Pacific Northwest in 1967 there was little of the evidence of liberal disease as it was then contained south of the Oregon border. Did the University of Washington allow the current mentality to grow and flourish, as it most likely did not happen overnight? Or is this a situation where ignorance is bless and the ignorant have the final vote?  Might I assume the President of UW is letting things happen at the school in which he should be leading and held accountable?  IÕm sure the UW alumni pride has swelled!  Well, one less school for my grandchildren to consider or me to recommend.Ó

Don Koppenhaver is a retired Marine Major who resides in Toms River, New Jersey.  He also feels the actions of students are the direct result of their teaching and quotes an old adage.. ÒThose that can do...do.  Those that canÕt do...teach.  But, because they canÕt do, they never have done, so what they teach must always be suspect.  Those that donÕt suspect and investigate on their own are unfortunately bound to live - and repeat - the myths they were taught.Ó

Ted Araujo is a former Marine Captain and an Attorney at Law in Syracuse, New York.  He too faults the faculty for the attitudes displayed by the student government.  ÒI have taught in universities and was the Assistant University Counsel for Cornell, as well as an alumnus of that school.  I have a wealth of experience as a student, faculty member and a member of an elite administration.

ÒLet it be said that there are very few honest academics left in the United States.  Most of them are in the Engineering and Physics Departments. Most English departments, political science departments, African Studies and other assorted disciplines in the elite schools are dominated by people who would like to see the United States disintegrate.  Deconstruction is the rule of the day and academics feel no need to offer alternatives to the pursuit of truth and attempts at reason.  There are no such things as rationality and lack of bias, so why try?Ó He concludes saying ÒIt is apparent why universities and entire school systems are focused on diversity and acculturation rather than the basics.Ó

Norm Hatch is a retired Marine and former combat correspondent.  Writing from his home in Alexandria, Virginia he says, ÒI donÕt think the Washington students are unpatriotic, but are victims of what the administration has not done and that is tell the truth about what is going on.  We have suffered worldwide by ÔperceptionÕ. That is something (they) donÕt understand and consequently it will take a long time to dig our way out of the worldÕs thoughts about the good old USA!Ó

Michael Bailey is a former Army Staff Sergeant in Lexington, South Carolina.  He is not very accepting of student Òwrong-headednessÓ.

In part he says, ÒI am appalled at the actions of those students at the University of Washington on the ÔPappyÕ Boyington Memorial.  He served this nation to help preserve the free society that they are free to be idiots in.  People are entitled to their own opinions, but it is men like Boyington that make it possible.  You should be honoring men like him who go into dangerÕs way to keep you speaking English and protesting the American way of life.  You students need to get over your parents credit limits and where you are partying this week.  You need to grow up and realize why you have these abundant freedoms.  Read the real history of men like ÔPappyÕ.  I will be the first to admit he was no Saint, but he led fighting men...not Nuns.Ó

On a personal note, while driving down a road leading from Da Nang, Vietnam and the airbase, I spotted a civilian in a flowered Hawaiian shirt flagging me down for a ride.  I stopped and as he climbed into the Jeep passenger seat he stuck out his hand, smiled, and said ÒHi, IÕm Greg Boyington.  Thanks for the lift.Ó

It was the fall of 1965 and he had flown to Hong Kong, hitched a ride on Air America to Da Nang and was now searching for his famed VMF-214 or The Black Sheep Squadron.  I told him the squadron was now designated VMA-214 and was not on the base, but further south at Chu Lai. ÒHowever,Ó I said, ÒOne of your former wing-men, Colonel Robert Conley commands the Marine Air Group here on the base.Ó He was delighted to hear this and we headed to an unannounced reunion.  After a night of war stories and beer with an old friend, he headed on to Chu Lai and some time with his Black Sheep Squadron.  This was a man who so loved his Marine Corps and his squadron that twenty years after he had hung up his uniform, he still wanted to see how those young men were faring in combat.

I spoke to ÔPappyÕ several times during the years following the Vietnam War.  He was the happiest when they were filming the ÒBaa Baa Black SheepÓ television series.  He also enjoyed traveling around to promote his book by the same name.  The last time I saw him was in the 80s at a Confederate Air Force Show.  His health was failing, but he still was filled with patriotic zeal. 

He was not a Òrich white manÓ as vilified by one of the students protesting a memorial in his name.  In fact, he lived the final years of his life on the generosity of friends.

One veteran who protested to the UW student government is Terry T. Brady of Anchorage, Alaska.  He wrote, ÒI am a former Marine. I am also a Life member of the U of W Alumni Association.  The so-called student leaders (and whoever supports them) as to their attitude toward Pappy Boyington should be ashamed and renounced by the university.

ÒWhile ÔPappyÕ may not have been politically correct, he should continue to be honored and not disrespected for his contribution to the freedoms these so-called student leaders so readily abuse.Ó

Lee Dunbar, President of the Associated Students of the University of Washington, answered his letter.  In that letter Brady was informed of the passage of ASUW Resolution 12-26 that called for a Memorial to all UW Alumni awarded the Medal of Honor.  That memorial would honor Gregory Boyington, Deming Bronson, Robert Galer, Robert Leisy and William Nakamura.

Dunbar said, ÒI respect our military and our veterans.  That is why I co-sponsored the original resolution.  As student body president that should indicate that the community at large wants to honor veterans.  Colonel Boyington and others should be honored.

He spoke of the young woman who had made derogatory comments about the MOH recipient saying ÒI think I speak for her when I say she is sorry for any insult felt by her choice of words.  Furthermore, she is an individual and did not find much support for what she said.  The chair had to quiet the crowd uproar afterward.  That was not recorded in the minutes.Ó

Durbar went on to explain that some of the negative votes were because of the way the original resolution was presented.  They wanted the memorial to include more than just Boyington.

With that a new resolution was written and passed by the student government 61 to 14.  Though this is a huge victory, it must still be noted that it only came to pass after nationwide anger erupted following the contentious dialog that defeated the original resolution.  Even with this 61 to 14 vote for a Medal of Honor memorial, there were 14 students who voted against it and another 13 students who abstained.  Among those there were students who walked out in protest.

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