General Charles Boyd passes, aged 83
General Charles Boyd
Boomer sends word on the passing of an Air Force legend. General Charles Boyd, highly decorated for his time in Vietnam, has died at age 83. Commissioning in 1959, he went on to beccome a fighter pilot first flying F-100 Super Sabres and then F-105 Thunderchiefs. If would be in the latter airframe that he was in when he was shot down on 22 April 1966. He’d flown more than 100 combat missions before falling into the hands of the North Vietnamese.
Boyd would be a prisoner for the next six, almost seven, years (2,488 days to be exact). He was a part of the brutal Hanoi March on 6 July 1966. This march would see 52 American prisoners paraded through Hanoi to be beaten by tens of thousands of North Vietnamese civilians over a course of two miles with their guards doing nothing to hold by the riotous mob.
Boyd received the Air Force Cross, two Silver Stars, one Legion of Merit, and three Bronze Star Medals (all with “V” for valor) for his time as a POW. He’d previously earned the Distinguished Flying Cross for combat action over Vietnam. He received three Purple Hearts, and in the years after his repatriation, numerous other awards.
Boyd rose to the rank of full/4-star general, the only Vietnam POW to reach that rank. He retired from the Air Force in 1995. He passed away on 23 March from lung cancer. He’s survived by his second wife and two children and is predeceased by his first wife.
Stars and Stripes has a detailed write up on the general.
Category: Air Force, Air Force Cross, Historical, Real Soldiers, Valor, We Remember
Slow salute!
Requiem in Pace, Sir.
RIP Gen. Boyd
Thank you you, sir, for your steadfast and loyal service.
Tip of the glass sir.
Welcome home and rest in peace on home soil.
Read a book about him.
Tough motherfucker.
Rest well, Sir.
May heaven’s honor guard give you a parade on your arrival. RIP Sir.
Another Warrior joins his Comrades in Valhalla.
*Slow Salute*
Rest In Peace, Dear General.
You’ve more than earned it.
I noticed in General Boyd’s various military awards bios online it lists the U.S. Army Good Conduct Medal. He is wearing it on his rack in his official photo.
The Army Good Conduct Medal is normally only awarded to Army enlisted members for 3 years good service. His bio says he was commissioned through the USAF Aviation Cadet Program in 1959.
I think Cadets in this time period were USAF. I can’t find any info on Army enlisted service in any of his bios..
Does anyone know the rest of the story on this award?
The USAF GC Medal wasn’t established until June 1963, even though we became a seperate branch in Sep 47, so until then the USAF issued the USA GC Medal.
So if his Cadet time, allowed him the award of the GC, then the Army one would be appropriate. I don’t know enough about the Cadet Programs itself though.
Correct. As I recall, aviation cadets were technically enlisted until they graduated with their wings. Then they would be commissioned. If they washed out of flight training, they would be needs of serviced somewhere else.
Thank you for the Cadet confirmation and information, I’m dumb on that part.
I know the rest of GCM information by heart, pretty much, having done up shadow boxes for Veterans with early USAF service. I got an education quick on the early awards and decorations crossover from Army to Air Force.
We have met others who thought US Army Officers are not entitled to the Good Conduct Medal.
We had to explain that there ARE those who were Prior Enlisted before getting their Commission either thru a Military Academy, OCS, ROTC, Direct Commission.
Some also received their Good Conduct Medal when they attended the West Point Prep School.
Rest In Peace, General.
Rest in peace good Sir.
Oops. My bad. I was wondering why no one was mentioning the OODA loop. Seems it was Col JOHN Boyd that implemented that.
RIP Gen Boyd. “High Flight” to you, sir.
Rest Easy, Good Sir. Your War is finally over.
Two awards of the Air Medal? Huh?
General Boyd performed undisputed heroic and exemplary service throughout his Air Force career, particularly as a POW in North Vietnam.
But General Boyd was also a Biden supporter.
“He noted that he had been “a Republican, but quietly” since his return from Vietnam, and served as a military adviser to Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) in the 1990s. Yet he largely stayed out of national politics until 2020, when he joined nearly 500 former senior military and civilian leaders in signing an open letter in support of Joe Biden’s presidential campaign.
“I fervently believe that military officers should not get involved in presidential politics, even when retired,” he said in a video he recorded for the group’s Twitter account. “But this year is different. Donald Trump’s assault on the rule of law that makes a democracy possible has been so egregious I’ve decided to speak out.”
He was voting for Biden, he added, and hoped others would do the same.”
General Boyd spent 2,488 days as a POW..
Over 6 years….
And all you focus on was that he was a Biden Supporter?
Wow. Just Wow. So Sad.
Rest In Peace, General Charles Boyd, Sir.
Salute.
Condolences to his Family.
Ahem: maybe you should read posts in their entirety before you make an emotional reply.
“General Boyd performed undisputed heroic and exemplary service throughout his Air Force career, particularly as a POW in North Vietnam.”
“But General Boyd was also a Biden supporter.”
Who wrote that comment…what was the purpose of that comment if you wrote it?
2,488 days…2,488 days…2,488 days..
Gee Whiz…
Rest In Peace.
BTW…This individual was buried on 31 March 2022 and was identified as a Vietnam POW…and yet, I cannot find his name on any list.
Am I missing something?
https://www.kjas.com/obituaries/article_0f88f422-b08a-11ec-aebb-674f647eeb9a.html
[…] recipient). I’ve previously talked about some other valiant POWs like Captain Lance Sijan and General Charles Boyd. Among the former POWs, though several rose to the flag ranks, only one saw combat in another war […]