Swashbucklers and Black Sheep A Pictorial History of Marine Fighting Squadron 214 in World War II

by Gamble, Bruce

• ISBN13: 9780760342503
• ISBN10: 0760342504
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2012-09-15
• Publisher: Zenith Press

Summary

Marine Fighting Squadron (VMF) 214 is the world's most famous fighter squadron. Its second wartime squadron commander was the legendary Greg "Pappy" Boyington. Boyington and the squadron were the loose inspiration for the late-seventies NBC television series Baa Baa Black Sheep, which was later syndicated under the name Black Sheep Squadron. Swashbucklers and Black Sheepis a comprehensive illustrated history of the squadron from its formation and first two combat tours on Guadalcanal as the Swashbucklers, which included their transition to the iconic gull-winged Corsair, to the arrival of their second commander, Pappy Boyington, after which they became the Black Sheep. The squadron's combat over Bougainville and Rabaul and the story of Boyington being shot down are covered, as are the squadron's exploits in the latter part of the war (while Boyington was a POW), which culminated in the heavy losses suffered aboard the carrier USS Franklin.The squadron's service in Korea, Vietnam, and the Global War on Terror complete the storied history of VMF 214. In addition to a rich collection of historical photography, Swashbucklers and Black Sheepfeatures combat aviation artwork from four of America's top aviation artists: John Shaw, Jim Laurier, Craig Kodera, and Bob Rasmussen.

Author Biography

Bruce Gamble is a retired naval flight officer and a former historian with the Naval Aviation Museum Foundation. He is the author of several critically acclaimed books about the Pacific War: Swashbucklers and Black Sheep (2012), an illustrated combat history of Marine Fighting Squadron 214 in the Pacific; Black Sheep One, the definitive biography of Greg "Pappy" Boyington; Invasion Rabaul, the first book of the Rabaul trilogy; and Fortress Rabaul, the second book of the Rabaul trilogy. Bruce lives near Panama City, Florida. For more, visit www.brucegamble.com

Table of Contents

Introduction

Acknowledgments

Out of the Ashes

On Hallowed Ground

Bent-Wing Birds

The Swashbucklers at Munda

Legends in Waiting

Gunfights Over Bougainville

Sojourn

Slugfest Over Rabaul

New Sheep

Big Ben

The Legacy of Heroes

Appendices

Bibliography

Index

Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved.