Boyd: The Fighter Pilot Who Changed the Art of War

by Robert Coram

When intelligence reports told of a large building flying a curious flag, ranking officers assumed the building housed one of the Grenada revolutionary organizations. A Navy admiral ordered Smith’s Marines to attack. Historically, a Marine commander receiving such orders would have done so without a second thought. But a fundamental tenet of maneuver warfare is to give the officer on the scene the authority to make tactical decisions. A young captain under Smith’s command was not sure the building housed revolutionaries and suggested sending out a patrol. Smith had confidence in the captain and agreed. He could always call in naval gunfire to level the buildings. As the patrol approached the building, a civilian came out to welcome them. Dozens of guns were trained on the man. If he had twitched, if he had reached into a pocket, he probably would have died. He waved and said, “Gentlemen, I am glad to see you. I am the ambassador of Venezuela.”