in april of '44, president roosevelt awarded pappy boyington the medal of honor. in the summer of '45, pappy was once again front page news. that's next on "war stories." >>> august 1945. two atomic bombs on japan bring an end to the war in the pacific. but for thousands of half starved and tortured allied prisoners, the long road to recovery was just beginning. >> the japanese were very, very severe with the captured enemy airmen. they would frequently get beaten during interrogation. they were medically neglected. >> among the gaunt and drawn faces of the released captives, one healthy example stood out. greg "pappy" boyington. >> no one knew that he hadn't been killed until the end of the war. >> it was like the prodigal son. he was thought to be lost and dead. >> released from the japanese prison camp on august 29th, 1945, boyington had not only survived, he managed to thrive during his 19 months in captivity. >> probably made him more of a hero to be found alive in this p.o.w. camp. >> promoted to lieutenant colonel, he made his way to san francisco on 12 sept