Welcome, Ven a gozar!

There was a famous WWII American flying Ace, and Medal of Honor winner named Greg Boyington. I read his autobiography years ago so I doubt it gets much press today. What made Pappy Boyington unique was he was the Squad Leader of a group of misfit fighter pilots named the Black Sheep Squadron in the pacific. The Black Sheep Squadron as you can guess, was made up mostly of pilots who could not fit in a normal fighter pilot squadron. They had personality defects, or other problems that made them not play well with others.

Boyington took these men in and somehow he made them all work as a team. They worked so well as a team they became famous for their skill and daring in spite of themselves and their known lack of getting along with others. They were some of the most daring and most decorated fighter squadron in the pacific arena.

Pappy Boyington said something in his book that has stuck with me all these years. He was talking of his time as leader of his squadron. He would be drinking all night and somehow get himself into a plane and complete what was sometimes a very long and difficult mission. Some of the longest missions flown by any fighter pilots of that day. He wrote of how he would tie up is joy stick so his plane flew in a straight line as he napped and recovered from his hangover.

Boyington said he was accused of not having any self control during his military career. Pappy Boyington disagreed with everyone about that statement. Everyone else was wrong, and Boyington knew he was right. How can that be? How could Gramps Boyington who was a drunk, disrespectful, and a generally terrible example of an officer and leader possibly think he was right and the world was wrong?

As Pappy Boyington explained it in his book when he wrote, everyone was wrong because he had more self control than anyone he knew. Pappy Boyington said he had more self control than anyone he knew because, in his words (from memory), he did whatever he wanted whenever he wanted. He didn’t care who threatened him, or what they threatened him with. If he, Pappy Boyington wanted to do it, he did it.

Of course Boyington eventually settled down and became somewhat normal. Greg Boyington learned that trying to be normal took a lot more self control than being wild and crazy. During the war his iron will was victorious and he stepped into the role he was made for. Pappy Gramps Boyington was first a hero to his men, and eventually a hero to the whole United States!

There is a second more profound lesson here in the life and times of Greg Pappy Boyington. Pappy Boyington had the tight tools for the job. It just took Pappy Boyington some time to find out what the right job was! We all have our job to do. For some of us it just takes longer to find it than for the rest of us.

Comments (0) Nov 12 2007