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COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho (AP) — A bronze 8-foot statue of Maj. Gregory "Pappy" Boyington has been dedicated at the Coeur d'Alene Airport-Pappy Boyington Field.
The Spokesman-Review reports (http://bit.ly/1CbmtLj ) the statue was dedicated Saturday in honor of the hometown hero. The Marine fighter pilot was born in Coeur d'Alene in 1912.
Boyington led the Black Sheep Squadron in World War II and downed 26 enemy planes before being captured by the Japanese. He spent 20 months in a prisoner-of-war camp.
He received the Medal of Honor and the Navy Cross. Boyington died in 1988.
Boyington's son, Greg Boyington Jr., of Oakland, California, praised the statute and said his father deserves the recognition.
The statute depicts Boyington in his Marine Corps leather jacket and helmet. It was sculpted over a three-year period by Sagle artist, Bryan Ross.
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Information from: The Spokesman-Review, http://www.spokesman.com
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