Chocks in the way for renaming of Idaho airport

An effort to rename Coeur d'Alene Airport in memory of famed World War II pilot Gregory "Pappy" Boyington has stalled.

Marine Corps veterans have been petitioning the Coeur d'Alene Airport Advisory Board for two years over a resolution to rename the regional hub but following a lengthy meeting on Wednesday evening (July 12), a decision is yet to be taken.

Members of the board did not give any indication of when they would come to a conclusion over the proposal and many of the veterans fighting Boyington's corner were left disillusioned by the committee's inaction.

"It seemed like the 'don't confuse me with the facts – my mind's made up' attitude," World War II Marine veteran Roy Weaver told The Seattle Post-Intelligencer.

Some of Weaver's colleagues believe Boyington's famed battles with alcoholism, which plagued his life after the war, have led some locals to oppose the proposition.

"Pappy" grew up in St Maries, Idaho, and was a well-known pilot during the 1940s.

He was awarded the Medal of Honor for his services to the U.S. war effort and went on to write a best-selling book about his exploits - Baa Baa Black Sheep. The book was later turned into a 1970s TV show, starring Robert Conrad.

Boyington died in 1988 and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

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