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Rank and organization: Major, U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, Marine Squadron
214. Place and date: Central Solomons area, from 12 September 1943 to 3
January 1944. Entered service at: Washington. Birth: 4 December 1912, Coeur
D'Alene, Idaho. Other Navy awards: Navy Cross. Citation: For extraordinary
heroism and valiant devotion to duty as commanding officer of Marine Fighting
Squadron 214 in action against enemy Japanese forces in the Central Solomons
area from 12 September 1943 to 3 January 1944. Consistently outnumbered
throughout successive hazardous flights over heavily defended hostile territory,
Maj. Boyington struck at the enemy with daring and courageous persistence,
leading his squadron into combat with devastating results to Japanese shipping,
shore installations, and aerial forces. Resolute in his efforts to inflict
crippling damage on the enemy, Maj. Boyington led a formation of 24 fighters
over Kahili on 17 October and, persistently circling the airdrome where
60 hostile aircraft were grounded, boldly challenged the Japanese to send
up planes. Under his brilliant command, our fighters shot down 20 enemy
craft in the ensuing action without the loss of a single ship. A superb
airman and determined fighter against overwhelming odds, Maj. Boyington
personally destroyed 26 of the many Japanese planes shot down by his squadron
and, by his forceful leadership, developed the combat readiness in his
command which was a distinctive factor in the Allied aerial achievements
in this vitally strategic area.
This data was extracted from the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, U.S. Senate, Medal of Honor Recipients: 1863-1973 (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1973)
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