Posted on 02/19/2006 8:24:23 AM PST by Theodore R.
Boyington Memorial Nixed at U. of Wash.
In a move that has ignited a firestorm of protest, students at the University of Washington have turned down a memorial to a famous alumnus who was awarded the Medal of Honor for "extraordinary heroism" in World War II.
Major Gregory "Pappy” Boyington was a U.S. Marine pilot who commanded the famed Black Sheep Squadron. He shot down 28 Japanese planes, making him a five-time Ace, and spent years in a Japanese hellhole prison camp.
But a proposal to erect a memorial in his honor was voted down by the Student Senate.
Some students questioned why the university should honor a person who killed others or even honor a Marine.
According to KOMO-4 News, student Andrew Everett wanted to honor all four U. of Washington graduates who won the Medal of Honor, along with a fifth student who did not graduate.
"Pappy Boyington was the most famous,” Everett said. "He wrote a book. There was a TV show about him. He was a legend, a media celebrity of his day."
His Black Sheep squadron is featured in the Personal Courage Wing of the Museum of Flight. Kevin Cuba, the military curator at the museum, told KOMO-4 News that it's sad students know so little about Boyington's fight to save their lifestyle.
"He didn't just volunteer to go into combat,” said Cuba. "He begged to go into combat. He wanted to serve his country and he did."
The refusal to honor Boyington brought a torrent of protest, according to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
Some students reported receiving scores of e-mails and phone calls from people angered by comments from students – including one student leader who questioned why another rich white man should be honored on campus. Few students had any idea who Boyington was even though he was a U of W grad and one of the university’s most illustrious alumni.
Wrote one furious blogger: "I'm angry about this … How dare these snot-nose, hemp-wearing, pot-smoking, drum-beating, 'gee when is the financial aid check going to arrive' brat kids diss Pappy Boyington?"
No surprise here. Liberals loathe the military. Why do you think they love Clinton so much?
Boyington was also not white, but Sioux (or at least part Sioux).
Saw the story on the news. Scary to think the future of this country will be in the hands of liberals. Colleges are a joke. But of course, Sex Week at Yale gives me hope./s
Why is anybody suprised anymore with what comes out of the left coast?
Not a bit.
"Some students questioned why the university should honor a person who killed others or even honor a Marine."
Give me a break. Hopefully, these students are a minority in this country. They sound like they belong in some other country, that wouldn't fight an enemy, like France.
Careful. Don't lump it all together. The east side of the state still retains some sanity (and there are even pockets on the west!)....
Several years ago, a group wanted to erect a memorial to Col. Charles Russell Lowell, Jr., of the 2nd Massachusetts Cavalry on the grounds of Lord Fairfax Community College. Lowell was killed at the Battle of Cedar Creek and I believe the proximity to the actual battle site was the reason the group chose the grounds of the college to place the monument. Unfortunately, the college turned them down, and an alternative site was found in front of the Wayside Inn, just down the road from the college in Middletown, Va. The Inn was used as Federal Headquarters during the battle, and the house Lowell died in is just across the street.
Hand it over to the Taliban, and let these jerks live under sharia law.
This is at the Seattle campus? Maybe the town of Seattle should propose a memorial to these guys and place it right outside the main gates into UW. Then everybody would reminded both of the heroes and of UWs position on them. It would simple to raise donations for such a memorial.
STOP ALL FEDERAL GRANTS AND FUNDING TO UW! End of story!
LLS
I'm sick of these idiots. Pappy Boyington and many others have done things that made it pssible for these IDIOTS to run there mouths as they do. If a suicide bomber walks on there university property they would still be protected by those that have and are still wearing America's uniforms.
These kids are stupid and clueless. Hopefully they will develop some common sense and intelligence as they grow older - but I doubt it.
Correct, they are stupid and clueless. But with very few exceptions they will not change. They have been intractibly hard wired like this by our 'education' system. They are lifelong pacifists and socialists. They can't be changed, only defeated.
Alums should make their displeasure known by withholding their financial support and sending their kids and grandkids elsewhere. Ditto for any non alum parents with kids in that school...send them elsewhere.
Boyington is too good to stand amongst liberals. They do not deserve the honor. They are as selfish as he was selfless.
UW doesn't deserve to be associated with Pappy. Screw 'em.
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