With their renowned squadron leader Greg “Pappy” Boyington, Marine Fighting Squadron (VMF) 214 was one of the best-known and most colorful combat units of World War II. The popular television series Baa Baa Black Sheep added to their legend—while obscuring the truly remarkable combat record of the Black Sheep and Boyington. A retired naval flight officer and former historian for the Naval Aviation Museum Foundation, Bruce Gamble provides a highly readable account that serves to both correct and extend the record of this premier fighting force.



“Behind the legend of the ‘bad boy’ squadron is the true story of the people, places, and events that made the outfit what it was.”
–World War II Magazine

“A sensitive revision of a controversial legend, this book stands out as one of the best extant squadron histories and as a significant contribution to the literature of air power.”
–Publishers Weekly

“Breathes new facts and new life into the Black Sheep, with not only a comprehensive account of the Marines’ most famous squadron, but a detailed evaluation of a legendary subject.”
–BARRETT TILLMAN
Author of On Yankee Station