Edward "Ed" "Pud" Lee Boyd, 99, passed away Monday, March 17, 2025 at his home. Services will be 10:00 A.M. Monday, March 24, 2025 at Strode Funeral Chapel. Burial will follow at Lawson Cemetery under the direction of Strode Funeral Home.

Ed was born on March 15,1926 on a farm east of Stillwater, Oklahoma. Ed graduated from high school in Quay, Oklahoma in 1944. He was sworn into the U. S. Navy on March 10 at the age of 17. His entry into the service was delayed until May 25th after completion of high school. His boot camp training took place at Camp Wallace in Hitchcock, Texas followed by base engineering training at the Naval Training School in Gulfport, Mississippi. He was then shipped out via troop train to San Francisco where he was deployed overseas aboard the transport ship USS General S. D. Sturgis on November 16, 1944. Upon arrival at the Ulithian Atoll in the Caroline Islands on December 9, 1944 he was assigned to the Destroyer USS Benham that would be fighting during 1945-1946 in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater of WWII.

Ed was assigned a job as a fireman in the boiler room and member of the 20-MM gun crew aboard the Benham. His ship participated in combat operations including the invasion and occupation of Iwo Jima in the Bonin Islands, raids on Honshu-Japan's main island, in conjunction to raids on Nansei Shoto in the Okinawa Islands. The USS Benham was also involved in joint 3rd and 5th Fleet raids in support of the Okinawa campaign in the Ryukyu Islands, and 3rd fleet raids on Japan's home islands. At 09:44 on April 17, 1945, during operations at Okinawa, four enemy zeros closed in on the destroyers' position with one diving at the ship. Although anti aircraft fire from several destroyers destroyed the plane 50 feet astern, the zero disintegrated in a large explosion. Anti aircraft fire from adjacent ships, in concert with the crashing plane, killed one and wounded 14 of Ed's shipmates in addition to destroying the ships' radar. His ship remained on station in the waters off Okinawa until retiring to Leyte in the Philippine Islands on June 13, 1945 to replenish supplies. It was then diverted to Guam for major repairs. Following the announcement of the Japanese surrender on August 15, 1945, the destroyer patrolled off the Japanese home islands until August 27, 1945 when the ship entered Sagami Bay to receive the surrender of the Yokosuka Naval Base. He was aboard his destroyer in Tokyo Bay on September 2, 1945 when General MacArthur accepted the Japanese government's formal surrender to the allies and victory over Japan (V-J Day) was proclaimed. His destroyer left Japan returning home on October 31, 1945.

Ed's awards were numerous. He was awarded the Combat Action ribbon, Asiatic-Pacific campaign medal, WWIl Victory medal, Navy Occupation Service medal with "Asia" clasp, and Philippine Liberation Medal for service in the liberation of the Philippines. He was honorably discharged at Pemberton, Washington in May 1946 with the rating of fireman first class and issued the WWII Honorable Discharge Lapel Pin.

After returning home Ed attended Oklahoma A&M college in Stillwater, Oklahoma graduating in 1948 with a degree in auto mechanics. The following 2 years he worked for Western Auto in Stillwater before moving to Mulvane, Kansas and hiring on with Beechcraft Aircraft. After 37 years at Beechcraft, he retired in 1987. He would return to Stillwater on April 8, 2002 where he would attend the East 6th Street church of Christ.

Two major events would occur in Ed's life following his return from the military. The first occurred on November 27, 1947 when he married his beloved wife, Velma Mae Wade. They would spend 67 years and 8 months together and bring 3 children, whom they both loved dearly, into the world. The second, and most important, event occurred in 1953 when Ed obeyed God's simple plan of salvation and was baptized at the Mulvane church of Christ where he not only worked as a humble servant in our Lord's kingdom but would eventually serve as an elder. Ed's wife Velma passed away on July 31, 2015. Ed passed from this life on March 17, 2025 - he was 99 years old. He is survived by their 3 children Eddy, Becky, and David along with 4 grandchildren, 14 great grandchildren and 6 great great grandchildren.