Greg Boyington was born on May 24, 1935, in Seattle, Washington. He enlisted in the U.S. Air Force on June 29, 1954, and entered the U.S. Air Force Academy on July 11, 1955. He was commissioned a 2d Lt in the U.S. Air Force on June 8, 1960, and completed Undergraduate Pilot Training and was awarded his pilot wings at Vance AFB, Oklahoma, in June 1961. After completing B-47 Stratojet Combat Crew Training, Lt Boyington served as a B-47 pilot with the 360th and the 359th Bomb Squadrons at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona, from May 1962 to May 1964, and then as a B-47 pilot with the 1st Bomb Squadron at Mountain Home AFB, Idaho, from May 1964 to June 1965. His next assignment was as a B-47 pilot with the 99th Bomb Squadron at Mountain Home AFB from June 1965 to February 1966, followed by KC-135 Stratotanker Combat Crew Training from February to June 1966. Capt Boyington served as a KC-135 pilot with the 6th Air Refueling Squadron and the 6th Combat Support Group at Walker AFB, New Mexico, from June 1966 to April 1967, and he then attended F-4 Phantom II Combat Crew Training from April to December 1967. His next assignment was as an F-4 pilot with the 558th Tactical Fighter Squadron at Cam Ranh Bay AB, South Vietnam, from January to May 1968, followed by service as an F-4 pilot with the 555th Tactical Fighter Squadron at Ubon and then Udorn Royal Thai AFB, Thailand, from May to December 1968. Maj Boyington served as an F-4 pilot and maintenance officer with the 9th Tactical Fighter Squadron at Holloman AFB, New Mexico, from January 1969 to October 1970, and then as an F-4 pilot and maintenance officer with the 417th Tactical Fighter Squadron at Holloman from November 1970 to July 1971. He attended Marine Corps Command and Staff College at Quantico, Virginia, from July 1971 to July 1972, and he then served as a Career Development Staff Officer and Section Chief with the Air Force Manpower and Personnel Center at Randolph AFB, Texas, from July 1972 to July 1974. LtCol Boyington's final assignment was as an Air Force Liaison Officer to the California Wing of Civil Air Patrol in Oakland, California, from July 1974 until his retirement from the Air Force on June 1, 1979.

His Distinguished Flying Cross w/Valor Citation reads:

Captain Gregory Boyington, Jr. distinguished himself by heroism in connection with military operations against an opposing armed force as an F-4D Aircraft Commander over hostile territory on 27 November 1968. On that date, Captain Boyington participated in a reconnaissance escort mission over the most heavily defended area of southern North Vietnam. Braving one of the heaviest fusillades of antiaircraft artillery fire ever experienced by a pilot in this conflict, Captain Boyington successfully completed his mission under a low overcast cloud condition which silhouetted his aircraft for the hostile gunners. The outstanding heroism and selfless devotion to duty displayed by Captain Boyington has reflected great credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.