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| -Obits- |
| RIP LTC Henry Bourgeois, 'Black Sheep' aviator |
| 2009-11-15 |
| Henry Mayor "Hank" Bourgeois, one of the last surviving aviators from World War II's famed Black Sheep Squadron, died Monday at St. Tammany Parish Hospital in Covington. He was 88. He joined the Marine Corps in 1940, served during both World War II and the Korean War and retired from the military after 20 years, but the duty for which he was best remembered was as a member of Marine Fighting Squadron 214. Serving under Lt. Col. Gregory "Pappy" Boyington, the unit became known as the Black Sheep Squadron between August 1943 and January 1944 in the South Pacific. The squadron shot down 94 Japanese planes during aerial combat over the Northern Solomon Islands and Rabaul. As a pilot in the squadron, Mr. Bourgeois sometimes flew two missions per day. He retired in 1961 as a lieutenant colonel and pursued a subsequent career in the aerospace industry. He hosted a reunion of Black Sheep pilots in 2000, and 15 other former members of the squadron traveled to Abita Springs to join him for the event. Survivors include three sons, Gerard "Gerry" Bourgeois, Thomas Bourgeois and Stephen Bourgeois; and three grandchildren. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose |