***Borrowed from Black Sheep Aces
Aces of Marine Fighting Squadron (VMF) 214***
Paul 'Moon' Mullen flew with Greg Boyington in VMF-122 in early 1943, and had one-and-a-half aerial victories to his credit before joining VMF-214. Mullen was one of the Black Sheep's singers and a poet, author of In a Rowboat at Rabaul. As John Bolt recalled, it was Mullen who came up with the "Black Sheep" squadron name and the insignia.
He was leading a division on Sept. 26, escorting dive bombers over Kahili, when he scored his first kill as a Black Sheep, flaming a Zero that had gotten onto Bob Bragdon's tail. He also helped to save Rollie Rinabarger's life that day, scattering the Zeros away from Rollie's shot-up Corsair. (Badly injured that day, Rinabarger's Corsair was scrapped. He was hospitalized, and never flew combat again.)
Mullen scored another on Oct. 18.
Dec. 27 - He shot down his fourth Zero as a Black Sheep, and became an ace.
The day after Boyington went down, on 1/4/44, Mullen shot down his last plane.
Aces of Marine Fighting Squadron (VMF) 214***
Paul 'Moon' Mullen flew with Greg Boyington in VMF-122 in early 1943, and had one-and-a-half aerial victories to his credit before joining VMF-214. Mullen was one of the Black Sheep's singers and a poet, author of In a Rowboat at Rabaul. As John Bolt recalled, it was Mullen who came up with the "Black Sheep" squadron name and the insignia.
He was leading a division on Sept. 26, escorting dive bombers over Kahili, when he scored his first kill as a Black Sheep, flaming a Zero that had gotten onto Bob Bragdon's tail. He also helped to save Rollie Rinabarger's life that day, scattering the Zeros away from Rollie's shot-up Corsair. (Badly injured that day, Rinabarger's Corsair was scrapped. He was hospitalized, and never flew combat again.)
Mullen scored another on Oct. 18.
Dec. 27 - He shot down his fourth Zero as a Black Sheep, and became an ace.
The day after Boyington went down, on 1/4/44, Mullen shot down his last plane.
***Borrowed from Black Sheep Aces
Aces of Marine Fighting Squadron (VMF) 214***
Paul 'Moon' Mullen flew with Greg Boyington in VMF-122 in early 1943, and had one-and-a-half aerial victories to his credit before joining VMF-214. Mullen was one of the Black Sheep's singers and a poet, author of In a Rowboat at Rabaul. As John Bolt recalled, it was Mullen who came up with the "Black Sheep" squadron name and the insignia.
He was leading a division on Sept. 26, escorting dive bombers over Kahili, when he scored his first kill as a Black Sheep, flaming a Zero that had gotten onto Bob Bragdon's tail. He also helped to save Rollie Rinabarger's life that day, scattering the Zeros away from Rollie's shot-up Corsair. (Badly injured that day, Rinabarger's Corsair was scrapped. He was hospitalized, and never flew combat again.)
Mullen scored another on Oct. 18.
Dec. 27 - He shot down his fourth Zero as a Black Sheep, and became an ace.
The day after Boyington went down, on 1/4/44, Mullen shot down his last plane.
Aces of Marine Fighting Squadron (VMF) 214***
Paul 'Moon' Mullen flew with Greg Boyington in VMF-122 in early 1943, and had one-and-a-half aerial victories to his credit before joining VMF-214. Mullen was one of the Black Sheep's singers and a poet, author of In a Rowboat at Rabaul. As John Bolt recalled, it was Mullen who came up with the "Black Sheep" squadron name and the insignia.
He was leading a division on Sept. 26, escorting dive bombers over Kahili, when he scored his first kill as a Black Sheep, flaming a Zero that had gotten onto Bob Bragdon's tail. He also helped to save Rollie Rinabarger's life that day, scattering the Zeros away from Rollie's shot-up Corsair. (Badly injured that day, Rinabarger's Corsair was scrapped. He was hospitalized, and never flew combat again.)
Mullen scored another on Oct. 18.
Dec. 27 - He shot down his fourth Zero as a Black Sheep, and became an ace.
The day after Boyington went down, on 1/4/44, Mullen shot down his last plane.
Gravesite Details
Entered the service from Minnesota.
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