[Video] Black Sheep CO Gregory “Pappy” Boyington describes an aerial victory (his actual voice) for a radio broadcast from the war in the Pacific

VMF-214 Black Sheep WWII combat tour in the Solomon Islands

In September 1943, the VMF-214 Black Sheep began their WWII combat tour in the Solomon Islands. Major Gregory “Pappy” Boyington was the commanding officer of the US Marine Corps squadron.

The Black Sheep were among the most effective combat units and their achievements made them legendary. Boyington became a leading flying ace and there were nine Black Sheep pilots who also became aces.

For his distinguished combat service, Boyington was awarded both the Navy Cross and the Medal of Honor.

During the war, the American public was anxious for news, especially accounts of victories against the enemy forces. War correspondents filed stories from the Pacific theater, and many sought to include personal accounts from servicemembers.

The ‘Battle Broadcast Radio Program’ provided listeners with news and interviews from various operational locations. Sergeant Jim Hardin with Marine Aviation Public Relations travelled to Barakoma Airfield on Vella Lavella Island in the Solomon Islands for such an account.

The Black Sheep squadron’s successes were growing, so Sgt Hardin arrived to interview their Commanding Officer on Dec. 23, 1943. Major Greg Boyington was due to return from an afternoon fighter sweep mission.

Gregory “Pappy” Boyington describes an aerial victory

The full recorded segment is about ten minutes, with Boyington freshly back from the mission, and he describes four of his aerial victories on that day.

In the following video you can listen to an excerpt of the interview, where he describes the first enemy engagement of the day, and the recording is aligned with original artwork depicting the scene.

While there are many detailed articles and books about Boyington, being able to listen to him describe the events shortly after they occurred, adds a valuable dimension.

The scenes in the video are artistic interpretations of what the events could have looked like in color. Usually, if we’re fortunate to even have photos from events at the time, they’re in black & white.

The Barakoma interview scene is included in the magazine: Boyington – Black Sheep Leader. It’s a special edition magazine to commemorate the squadrons 80th Anniversary last year.

The magazine includes a “sneak peek” section of new graphic novel art. There are chapter excerpt scenes showing various points in Boyington’s WWII experiences: New Zealand hospital before he was a Black Sheep (four pages), the Barakoma radio interview (four pages), and his last dogfight when he was shot down (seven pages).

Historical fiction is set in a time from the past and depicting events with characters that are based on real people. Graphic novels are printed storytelling that combines sequential art and text in a book-length format.

Gregory “Pappy” Boyington – Black Sheep Leader

The creative team includes Gary Martin for layouts, pencils, inks and finishes. Gary has inked for all the major companies; Marvel, Disney, Dark Horse and Image. Marcus Eskow is the colorist and August Uhl is the letterer. Both have been featured in The American Legion Magazine for the monthly series Lore of the Legion. Kevin Gonzalez is the writer, and previously produced/directed the documentary film Pappy Boyington Field. Some of the creative teams are also military veterans; Eskow (Navy), Uhl (Air Force) and Gonzalez (Marine Corps).

The magazine cover art was designed by Rodolfo Martinez, whose passion for warbirds is evident in his beautiful work.
The process begins with providing a script and research to the artist who will produce the layouts in pencil. Adjustments can be made at this stage before proceeding to finer details with inks and finishes. Research materials are also provided to the colorist, whose work essentially brings the pages to life. The letterer is tasked with placement of titles, text, sound effects and narration.

Much of the historical details for the special edition magazine was derived from the research that was done for the documentary film Pappy Boyington Field. Visits to the Marine Corps History Division, National Archives, meeting with some living Black Sheep squadron members and the Boyington family.

Additionally, visits to San Diego Comic-Con provided invaluable insights that helped inform the projects artistic direction. Graphic novel art is ideal for connecting the rich history of Boyington and the Black Sheep to new audiences.

VMFA-214

The magazine format allows for a unique way to present articles, historical and contemporary photos, as well as original artwork. Many of the other artists involved with the magazine are military veterans, who gained graphics experience through the Department of Defense Skillbridge program.

The magazine links the origins of the squadron to the present-day Black Sheep. The squadron has served the nation continuously since Boyington took command during WWII.

They began as a Marine Fighter Squadron (VMF) and years later were redesignated as a Marine Attack Squadron (VMA) during 1962 – 2022. Currently, the Black Sheep are a Marine Fighter Attack Squadron, VMFA-214 and they fly the F-35B Lightning II.

The squadron’s mission is to attack and destroy surface targets, intercept and destroy enemy aircraft, provide electronic warfare support, and network enabled reconnaissance support across the full spectrum of combat operations.

The Black Sheep are stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, and they have been presented with copies of the magazine.

The proud legacy of the Black Sheep continues. Semper Fidelis.

Photo credit: Jim Laurier via Aviation Art Hangar