I salute Staff Sargent JW Boyde for his service to America.
JW Boyde was born on July 18, 1924 in Crockett, TX. He was raised on a farm with 2 sisters and two brothers.
He was drafted into the US Army in April 1943 and was sworn in in Wichita Falls TX. He took his basic training in Little Rock, AR. He was ten sent to Fort Mead in Maryand where after fourteen weeks boarded the Queen Mary for Scotland. They crossed the English Channel into France and pushed into Holland. He was part of the 104th Infantry Division known as the Timberwolves.
After moving from Holland he went into Belgium then into Germany via motor convoy. They took over Aachen, Germany from the the U.S. 1st Infantry Division.
Following the biggest air assault of World War II (2,400 bombers), the division, from its positions in the Aachen-Verlautenheide area, launched an assault on the pill boxes and other fortifications of the Siegfried Line and through the heavily defended fortress towns and cities which lead to the banks of the Roer River opposite of Duren. JW was wounded during this time and rejoined the division as they made their way to Cologne. His Timberwolves crossed the Rhine River at Remagen and supported the 3rd Armored Division. This started a major offensive action that allowed them to link up with the U.S. Ninth Army to trap 335,000 German troops in the Ruhr Pocket. JW was wounded again and did not return to battle. He received a Purple Heart medal for his wounds during this battle. When he was released from the hospital in England and was destined to return to the front line, the war ended.
JW was married for sixty three years to his wonderful wife, Eva. He also has a daughter, Gayle, two grandchildren, Michelle and Steven and two great grandchildren, Austin and Autumn.
Thank You, JW Boyde
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