lest we forget

BOYKIN, KENNETH LEE

Rank / Branch:

  • SERGEANT, U.S. ARMY

Date Of Birth:

  • 1947-05-24

Country Of Loss:

  • SOUTH VIETNAM

Status:

  • BODY RETURNED

Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground:​

  • GROUND

Other:

  • MARRIED

Unit:

  • 101ST AIRBORNE DIVISION

Date Of Loss:

  • 1971-05-11

Loss Coordinates:

  • QUANG TRI

Catagory:

  • Hostile, Rocket, Mortar

Awards & Decorations:

  • SEE BIO

VETERAN HAGI0GRAPHY

  • BOYKIN, KENNETH LEE, SERGEANT, U.S. ARMY, ANDREWS, ANDREWS COUNTY, TEXAS

AWARDS AND DECORATIONS

  • COMBAR INFANTRYMANS BADGE, BRONZE STAR, PURPLE HEART, NATIONAL DEFENSE SERVICE MEDAL, VIETNAM SERVICE MEDAL, KOREA SERVICE MEDAL, VIETNAM CAMPAIGN MEDAL, VIETNAM CROSS OF GALLANTRY WITH PALM CITATION n Medal, Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm

BIOGRAPHY

  • Kenny Lee Boykin was born in Honey Grove, Mississippi. He was the oldest of four children born to E.B. and Geneva Boykin. The family moved to Andrews in 1958 from Texas City. He attended Andrews High School and Permian High School in Odessa. He loved being around people. Country/Western music was his favorite.
  • Kenny enlisted in the U.S. Army May, 1964, shortly after his 17th birthday. He married his wife, Jeanne Smith, of Odessa in November 1965. He did a tour with the First Cavalry Division in Korea 1964-66, re-enlisted in 1968 for three years. went Vietnam and served a tour from 1969-70. He re-enlisted again in January 1971 and returned to Vietnam for a second tour on February 8, 1971. He was assigned to D Company, 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry, 101st Airborne Division as a squad leader. It was during Operation Lamson 719, he was among a group of soldiers detailed to hold the Khe Gio Bridge on March 11, 1971. Suddenly the force was engaged by mortars and rockets and a rocket landed near Kenny and another soldier, killing Kenny. The other soldier sustained serious leg wound which result in amputation. He was killed one month into his second tour.
  • At the time of his death, he was survived by his wife and son, Kenny. They were residing in Odessa, his parents of Jasper, Texas, He had seven brothers, 2 sisters and 2 half-sisters, two of his younger brothers were both serving in Vietnam. All three were in the same general area. His brother, Sam was in the U.S. Navy and his brother, Ray was serving with the U.S. Marines. His younger sister, Mary G was still living in the home of their parents. His brother James was residing in Andrews.
  • Sergeant Boykin was buried with full military honors in the old Andrews County Cemetery in Andrews, his boyhood home.
  • OLD ANDREWS CEMETERY, ANDREWS, TEXAS
  • FAMILY HEADSTONE, OLD ANDREWS CEMETERY