Henry Joseph Boye Jr.
Henry Joseph Boye Jr.
Private First Class Henry Joseph Boye Jr. served as an 0331 (machine gunner) in the Marine Corps, B Company, 1st Battalion, 1st Marines, 1st Marine Division. He reached the rank of PFC/E2.
On May 31, 1968, at the age of 19, Henry Joseph Boye Jr. perished in the service of our country in South Vietnam, Quang Tri Province. He was brought home and buried at Beverly National Cemetery in Beverly, NJ on June 14, 1968.
Private First Class Henry Joseph Boye Jr. was born to Sarah Elizabeth Parkinson Boye and Henry Joseph Boye Sr. on June 26, 1949. He lived with his parents at 2109 Erial Road in Pine Hill, NJ. He was their first child and was followed by two brothers and a sister. Henry, Hank to his friends, spent his childhood playing organized sports such as football and baseball with various township teams. He was a better than average athlete and turned out to be a talented starting third baseman for his high school team — the Overbrook Regional Rams. He also played football for Overbrook Regional High School.
Always the practical joker, he was responsible for many gray hairs of the teachers who taught him. Henry was a decent student in school, but definitely took more joy in his friends and shop class rather than academics. He loved to work and tinker with cars, as did many of his friends. His pride and joy was a white ‘65 Mustang that he bought his senior year of high school.
Henry graduated from Overbrook Regional High School in June 1967. After graduation, he worked at various jobs, becoming a butcher’s apprentice in the summer. In November of 1967, he enlisted in the US Marine Corps and went off to Boot Camp and finally off to Vietnam early in 1968, attaining the rank of Private First Class.
He was slightly wounded in the fighting on Hill 881 on May 21, 1968. He wrote to the family and told us how lucky he was to have received superficial cuts from shrapnel. On May 31, 1968, less than a month after receiving his letter telling of his luck, Henry was killed in action in Quang Tri Province, Vietnam. He was one month from his nineteenth birthday. His death occurred during the Tet Offensive, a major insurgence of North Vietnam to South Vietnam.
Henry was awarded the Purple Heart with Oak Leaf Cluster, as well as several medals from the Vietnamese government. He left behind a mother, father, two brothers, a sister, and many friends.
Henry Joseph Boye Jr. is honored on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on Panel 62W, Row 5.
He is buried at Beverly National Cemetery, Beverly, NJ — Plot X 0 2003.
Pine Hill Marine Killed in Vietnam
Camden Courier-Post —
Pfc. Henry J. Boye Jr. of 210 Erial Road, Pine Hill, has been killed in Vietnam.
Son of Mr. and Mrs. Henry J. Boye Sr., Pfc. Boye, 18, was serving with the 1st Marine division when he was killed on May 31 near Quang Tri as a result of hostile action. On May 21 he had sustained minor combat wounds while fighting on Hill 881.
A graduate of Overbrook Regional High School in 1967, Boye entered the service in November and was sent to Vietnam on April 27. He played football and baseball at Overbrook.
In letters, his parents said, he stated that it was rough but he was proud to be there, serving his country.
Other survivors include his maternal grandmother, two brothers, Glenn and Jay, and a sister, Sandra.
In Memory
I met Hank at the Philadelphia, PA. airport in 1968 while we were waiting to go to Camp Pendleton. We hit it off right away, and it sure made the trip to “staging” at Camp Pendleton a fun ride; I guess it was a little too much fun, laughing with Hank, since the stewardess told us several times to be quiet.
When we were at Pendleton, Hank and I, along with a Marine named Able (first name), spent most of our off-duty time together in Oceanside, CA (where we got our tattoos). We went to Disneyland several times, and each time was the greatest. I still remember Hank’s irritation that I wanted to ride the “It’s a Small World” ride. He went with me, but he made clear what a goofy ride it was (he was right!). On the plus side, we saw the “Lovin’ Spoonful” there. I danced, but Hank said that it looked like I was very stiff (this is not how he put it!).
When we got to Phu Bai, we were assigned to different companies, me to Delta.
When I humped up the final hill for the day in early June, some other guys from the Battalion told me of Hank’s death. It broke my heart.
— Written by LCpl Peter Doerschuk, Friend
Messages Left on TheWall-USA
Unfortunately, I was unable to meet Henry as he was KIA the exact day I arrived in Nam. Henry may you rest in peace brother and Semper Fi.
— LYox/Sgt/USMC/RVN68–69, Lanny Yox, Fellow Marine — June 26, 2007
I met Hank at the Philadelphia airport when we were both getting ready to go to Camp Pendleton. We hit it off right away. We flew out to Pendleton in adjoining seats. At Pendleton we always hung out in Oceanside with a guy named Able. We had great times together. When we were finally assigned to companies at Phu Bai, Hank went to a different Company. He was killed during our first operation. It broke my heart. I loved him like a brother. I miss him. Pete. Delta 1/1.
— Pete Doerschuk — September 6, 2003