Lt. Colonel Richmond T. (R.T.) Boykin Jr. was born November 23, 1932 in Wilson, NC. R.T. joined the US Navy Reserve in 1949, and graduated from Hugh Morson High School, Raleigh, NC, June 1, 1950. After high school, he attended NC State College. When the Korean war began R.T. put college on hold and volunteered for active duty. While on active duty R.T. completed Machinist Mates School, served on board the battleship USS Missouri BB-63, and obtained the rank of Petty Officer 3rd Class. The Navy released R.T. from active duty in August 1953, he remained in the Navy Ready Reserve, and resumed studies at NC State.
In March 1955, R.T. put college back on hold, obtained his release from the US Navy Reserve, enlisted in the US Air Force Aviation Cadet Program, and assigned to Harlingen AFB, TX Navigation Class 56-14. August 1956 R.T. graduated from Aviation Cadets, commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant, received Navigator Wings, and assigned to the Strategic Air Command (SAC).
In SAC, R.T. flew B-47s with the 68th Bomb Wing Chenault AFB, LA and the 307th Bomb Wing Lincoln AFB, NE. While serving as a full-time B-47 aircrew member R.T. burned the midnight oil and completed his bachelor degree at The University of Omaha. He spent his last year at Lincoln AFB, NE as Chief Target Study Officer of the 307th Bomb-Nav Division. After Lincoln AFB R.T. was assigned to the Operations Plans Division of two B-52 Wings. First, the 2nd Bomb Wing at Barksdale AFB, LA, and second the 7th Bomb Wing at Carswell AFB, TX. Both wings served combat tours at Anderson, AFB, Guam from which R.T. flew several B-52 Vietnam combat missions.
In May 1968 R.T. attended Air Command and Staff College in residency at Maxwell AFB Montgomery AL. He graduated in June 1969, and assigned to the Tactical Air Command (TAC).
TAC assigned R.T. to fly F-4 Phantom fighter aircraft. After F-4 training R.T. was assigned a Vietnam combat tour with the 34th TAC Fighter Squadron, Korat Royal Thai AFB, Thailand. While serving with the 34th TAC Fighter Squadron R.T. flew 178 combat missions in the F-4E Phantom.
After his Vietnam combat tour R.T. was assigned as Chief of Operations Services Division (OSD), 16th Air Force Torrejon AB, Spain. Three months after R.T. took command of OSD, the division was transferred to Headquarters US Air Forces Europe (USAFE) in Germany. Upon his request R.T. remained at Torrejon AB Spain and was assigned to the 401st Combat Support Group (CSG) as Chief of the Operations and Training Division (OTD). While Chief of OTD R.T. assembled an Exercise Evaluation Team (EET) that designed and evaluated disaster preparedness and other types of exercises for the 401st TAC Fighter Wing (TFW). The Commander of 16th Air Force took notice and sent the 401st EET to do the same for other bases and Air Force missions within the 16th AF command. R.T. was assigned the additional duty of project officer and commander of the 401st F-4 bombing competition team and led the team to victory. After the bombing competition R.T. was assigned the job of Chief of the 401st Radar Systems Division and remained in this job until his rotation back to the Continental US in December 1975.
Back in The States R.T. was assigned the job Chief of Command and Control 4th TAC Fighter Wing Seymour Johnson AFB, NC. R.T. remained in this job until his retirement on January 1, 1977.
R.T. was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, Meritorious Service Metal, Air Metal with 11 Oak Leaf Clusters, Air Force Commendation Metal with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster, Good Conduct Metal, and 10 other campaign metals and service ribbons. Lt. Colonel R.T. Boykin, Jr. retired with 26 years (6 enlisted + 20 commissioned) of military service.
After retirement R.T. and Family, wife Rosemary, son Thomas, daughters Lenore and Shalamar, moved to Texas. R.T. became a Real Estate Broker and Master Sign Electrician. He was widowed in November 1991, and in October 1992 R.T. married Drusilla Jean Christian. Dru and R.T. live in Bedford, TX, a nice little town between Dallas and Fort Worth.