Civil Air Patrol recognizes Black History Month by honoring the late Col. George Boyd, Tuskegee Airman and former Kansas Wing commander.
Boyd joined the New Jersey Wing’s North Bergen County Squadron in 1943. As a cadet sergeant he taught new cadets how to drill and the importance of maintaining discipline.
The following year, at 18, Boyd joined the Army Air Corps and became one of the Tuskegee Airmen. He served in the U.S. Air Force for 28 years through three wars and retired as a major.
After that he reconnected with CAP, eventually achieving command of the Kansas Wing after serving as deputy commander, chief of staff and executive officer. At the national level, he served as controller, as a member of the National Board and the National Executive Committee, and as Urban Programs adviser.
He also helped establish the Kansas State Department of Civil Air Patrol and served as its director.
Boyd died June 21, 2018, two days before his 92nd birthday. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
Last fall, CAP named Achievement 14 of the Cadet Program after Boyd.