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| Petty Officer Clyde Boyd, seen with his bride Virginia, was on the USS St. Louis when it was hit by a kamikaze plane. https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=52817529 http://www.worldwarphotos.info/wp-content/gallery/usa/us-navy/USS_St._Louis_CL-49_being_hit_by_Japanese_kamikaze_Plane_off-of_LEYTE_Island.jpg |
Clyde Roe Boyd never had a chance to reach 100 years old today. Instead, he sacrificed his life for our freedom.
He was born on June 17, 1917 in Texas. His parents were also both born in Texas. His father worked as a farmer. Clyde had an older brother, two older sisters, and one younger brother. By 1940 Clyde had completed four years of high school and was working as a government foreman of laborers while still living with his parents.
He enlisted in the US Navy on January 23, 1941. Muster rolls show he was serving on the light cruiser USS St. Louis in December 1941 which means he was probably at Pearl Harbor when the Japanese bombed the Pacific Fleet. He rose to the rank of radioman 2nd class.
Muster rolls show he was serving on the light cruiser USS Honolulu in March 1944, likely transferred there while the St. Louis was undergoing repairs caused by damage from Japanese dive-bombers in January. He was again serving on the St Louis by September when it was back in California for an overhaul. It was during these repairs that Petty Officer Boyd married his wife Virginia on September 30, 1944.
By November 16 the St. Louis was on station in Leyte Gulf. On November 27 the St. Louis came under attack of kamikaze planes. Most missed but two of them hit, killing 16 men. Boyd was one of 21 men who were seriously injured. He was evacuated to receive better medical attention but he succumbed to his wounds on December 9, 1944.
His grave is at Oakwood Cemetery, Waco, Texas. Clyde had one daughter who was born after he died. His wife remarried after Clyde's death and she died in 2000.
On behalf of the fallen, if you would like to see more people become aware of this project to honor the WW2 fallen, be sure to share with others on Twitter, Facebook, etc. Thanks for your interest!
To mark having over 100,000 visits to my project to honor the fallen of WW2 on their 100th birthdate, I created this video to share. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXt8QA481lY
Join the public Facebook group WW2 Fallen 100
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