The TV show was mostly fiction.
Yeah, I found that out later, but the black sheep were real p40 (I think) rebel pilots flying out of Burma
Yes, despite having Boyington himself as a production consultant. Some of the other members of VMF-214 were a bit offended at being portrayed as a bunch of screw-ups just inches away from a court-martial. Pappy *was* an unconventional CO (and accurately portrayed as far as the drinking and brawling), but the rest of the pilots were remarkable mostly for their skill.