In loving memory of... Leo Sidney Boston.
Remains Id'd 07/2011
*** Lieutenant Colonel Boston was a member of the 602nd Tactical Fighter Squadron, 14th Air Commando Wing, Ubon, Thailand. On April 29, 1966, he was the pilot of a Douglas Skyraider Attack Aircraft (A1-E) on a search and rescue mission about 5 miles west of the Black River in Son La Province, North Vietnam when he was reported missing. His remains were not recovered. His name is inscribed on the Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial.
You may be gone, no longer living on this earth; but you will live on - in the memories of your family and friends. There will always be a part of you living in those who knew you. You will live on because we remember you!
LEO SIDNEY BOSTON - Air Force - COL - O6
Age: 42
Race: Caucasian
Date of Birth May 12, 1935
From: CANON CITY, CO
Religion: METHODIST
Marital Status: Married - Dorothy Deanna Curtis who was buried at the Air Force Academy 23 years ago and a father of three (his daughters Stephanie Boston Danielson, Bethany Boston-Johnson, of Vail ). His late Father, John Sidney Boston and his mother, Edythe (Edith) Marie Hall Boston. (Edythe Hall was born on a farm in the Oklahoma Panhandle, the daughter of Richard and Carry Hall.). And a brother, Jon Boston and two sisters.
***** Dear Sidney,
I wish we could have shared these many years which have gone by together. You're thought of everyday. Beth, Steph and John are wonderful children and doing just fine. You have a beautiful granddaughter, Sydney Ily. Steph is very proud of her.
Mom missed you dearly on Mother's Day, her 39th since being notified about your MIA status on your birthday and Mother's Day in 1966. She has great faith and you are always with her.
Dick Boston, USMC, RVN, 1966-1968
He is my brother
***** Mother - Edythe (Hall) Boston of Canon City, Colo., a Goodwell native, was inducted into the Panhandle State Association's Alumni Ambassador Hall of Fame on Saturday evening, April 17, 2004, at the association's annual meeting and banquet. In his nomination of this year's co-recipient, Association Past President Troy Morris stated, "The first year that I was president . . . I met Edythe Boston. She has been at almost all the Spring Reunion banquets since that time and (has) celebrated her 60th year reunion." Mrs. Boston is a Life Member.
Edythe Hall was born on a farm in the Oklahoma Panhandle, the daughter of Richard and Carry Hall. She graduated from the 8th grade at New Bethel and her family moved to a farm near Goodwell. Edythe attended secondary school at Panhandle A&M College, earning her high school diploma with honors. She enrolled in classes at the same college, now known as Oklahoma Panhandle State University, majoring in Home Economics and education. In 1933, she earned her Bachelor of Science degree and received a lifetime high school and 5 year teacher's certificate.
When Edythe Hall and Sid Boston were married August 2, 1934, she resigned her teaching position as only single women were employed as teachers during the Depression. The Bostons had two sons and two daughters and lived in Goodwell and Guymon for 14 years. Edythe was active in the Methodist church, garden club, and Order of Eastern Star, eventually becoming a Past Worthy Matron. In 1948, Sid and Edythe bought a -5acre mini farm in Canon City, Colo., where they lived for 16 years.
Edythe Boston has been a member and supporter of the League of Families of POW-MIA's for 38 years, working for a full accounting of American service people.
Her son, Colonel Leo Sidney Boston is MIA in Vietnam. In 1971, Edythe and Sid went to Paris, contacting the Vietnamese ambassador to plead for more humane treatment of POW's.
Mrs. Boston has been a member of the American Association of University Women since 1950, and had a chair donated in her honor at the Fremont Center of the Arts in March 2001. In that year, she was honored as Woman of the Year. Edythe was given a life membership in the Women's Society of Christian Service, now known as United Methodist Women, and is Acting treasurer of the Evening Star Mission Circle.
Edythe Boston has played bridge in the Royal Gorge Bridge Club, at Colorado State Prison (visiting only!), and the Canon City and Skyline Clubs. She has also competed in many regional tournaments, amassing over 1100 Master Points. Mrs. Boston now ranks Silver Life Master. She recently played in the Hawaiian Regional and was listed in the top 50 scores. After writing poetry for thirty years, Edythe Boston published a 300-page book of her works, some of which have also been published in Cappers magazine.
In 2003 her Blue Book of Gems #2 was published.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Obituary - Col. Leo S. Boston
On April 15th, 2011 the 'Children and Family members of Col. Leo S. Boston were informed that his remains had been formally and positively identified by DNA experts working with Joint Prisoners of War, Missing in Action Accounting Command in Honolulu, Hawaii at a laboratory called CIL-HI. Col. Boston, or "Sid" as he was known, was born in Goodwell, OK and moved with his Family to Canon City, CO in 1948. He graduated from Canon City High School with the Class of 1953 and was an avid sportsman, hunter and fisherman. After graduation, he first attended Panhandle State University Air Force Aviation Cadet Flight training program. Upon earning his "wings" and a commission as a 2nd Lt., he returned to Canon City to marry his high school sweetheart, Dorothy Deanna Curtis. Various assignments of Boston have included O'Hare International Airport flying F-84 and F-86 aircraft, and K.I. Sawyer Air Force Base/Strategic Air Command flying the Fo101. Col. Boston next attended OSU where he earned his degree in Business Management in 1965. He next volunteered for flying with the 602nd Fighter Squadron and went to the Air Commando Group for training in the A-1E Skyraider at Elgin AFB in Florida. He arrived in Vietnam in March of 1966. On April 29, 1966, Col. Boston was flying a Search and Rescue Mission near Hanoi, N. Vietnam. His plane became separated from his wing man during hostile air and nothing was known of his fate. An intermittent beeper was heard the next day but its origin was unknown and searches revealed no sign of Boston or his plane. Boston's Wife joined the National League of Families of American Prisoners and Missing in Southeast Asia upon its inception, in 1970, and made public speeches for the cause of the Missing-in-Action numerous times in Colorado. She made many trips to Washington, DC to attend meetings in search of her Husband until her untimely death in August 2, 1988. Boston's Daughters and Brother continued to attend meetings and follow the case's progress diligently but no leads came for over 30 years. A break came in the late'90's when a crash site area was discovered through government investigations. Remains from the village combined with eye-witness accounts led to the repatriation of the remains by the government in 2000, but due to the small amount of remains consisting only of a small kneecap fragment, DNA identification at that time was not possible. In April the Family received the news they had been waiting for nearly 45 years'" that the kneecap fragment had matched DNA samples taken of his Mother and Brother. The Family would like to thank the National League of Families in Washington DC for continuing to keep the cause of full accounting of the "Missing-in-Action in Southeast Asia" moving forward. Further, the Family would like to thank the USAF personnel and friends, too numerous to mention, who have supported the Family through all these difficult years. Col. Boston is survived by his Daughter's Bethany Boston Johnson of Vail, Stephanie Boston Danielson (Patrick) of Canon City and Son, John S. Boston II of Chicago, IL, his Mother, Edythe Marie Hall Boston, his Brother Jon R. Boston (Nancy) of Wisconsin and Las Vegas, Sister's Gayle Knowles (Ron) of Kiowa and Daria DelDuca (Chuck Caston) of Parker, Granddaughter Sydney Ily Danielson of Canon City and many aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews. We would also honor his late Father, John Sidney Boston, his late Wife, Dorothy Deanna Boston and his late Nephew Daniel DelDuca. A Military Graveside Funeral will be held this coming Friday, July 15th at 1PM at the United States Air Force Academy and all who wish to honor his life are invited to attend. In lieu of flowers the Col. Leo S. Boston Memorial Fund has been established at Pueblo Bank & Trust, 1401 Main St., Canon City, CO 81212.
Published in The Gazette on July 9, 2011
COL - O6 - Air Force - Reserve
His tour began on Apr 29, 1966
Casualty was on Apr 27, 1978
In , NORTH VIETNAM
Hostile, died while missing, FIXED WING - PILOT
AIR LOSS, CRASH ON LAND
Body was not recovered
Panel 07E - Line 7
Other Personnel in Incident: (none missing)
Lieutenant Colonel Boston was a member of the 602nd Tactical Fighter Squadron, 14th Air Commando Wing, Ubon, Thailand.
On April 29, 1966, he was the pilot of a Douglas Skyraider Attack Aircraft (A1-E) on a search and rescue mission about 5 miles west of the Black River in Son La Province, North Vietnam when he was reported missing.
His remains were not recovered.
*****************************************
MIA Airman Buried At Air Force Academy Friday
An Airman who went missing in action over North Vietnam in 1966 was buried at the Air Force Academy on Friday.
Posted: 11:37 AM Jul 15, 2011
Reporter: KKTV
An Airman who went missing in action over North Vietnam in 1966 was buried with full military honors at the Air Force Academy on Friday.
The funeral ceremony for Colonel Leo Sidney Boston was held at the Air Force Academy Cemetery on Friday afternoon. A large crowd, including Boston's friends and family were on hand, as well as a large contingent of the Patriot Guard.
"It's just such a blessing," said his daughter Stephanie Boston Danielson on Friday. "It's overwhelming, but it's a good feeling too. I feel very warm."
Boston's children, and his mother, Edythe Hall Boston were presented with American flags at the ceremony. A flyover of four F-16's capped off the service. His family hopes many will remember Col. Boston the way they do:"As a hero that served his country and was glad to do so," said Stephanie.
Stephanie was a little girl when her father was a member of the 14th Air Commando Wing assigned to Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand in 1966. That year, he went MIA.
Then a captain, he was the pilot of an A-1E Skyraider which was on a search and rescue mission when he was reported missing. The general procedure for a rescue escort entailed two A-1 Skyraiders flying directly to the search area to look for signs of the downed crewmen while two other A-1s escorted the rescue helicopter to the area. If necessary, the A-1s would attack enemy in the area with bombs, rockets and cannon fire so that the rescue helicopter could land.
His aircraft, the lead plane in a flight of two, became separated from the other aircraft during the mission. No visual contact was made and no radio transmissions were received from him. "There was a turn, all of a sudden my dad had just vanished," said Stephanie.
The last known location of the flight was about five miles west of the Black River in Son La Province, North Vietnam.
From Canon City, and a father of three, Boston had a passion for flying. His disappearance helped touch off a search that ended decades later with an advance in modern science. "We really never thought we'd see this day so many times. It's just a blessing for our family.
Between 1996 and 2005, joint U.S.-Vietnam teams, led by the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command, analyzed numerous leads, interviewed villagers in Son La Province, and conducted excavations that recovered aircraft wreckage, human remains and crew-related equipment. Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory used mitochondrial DNA – which matched that of Boston's mother and brother – in the identification. His remains were positively identified April 4, 2011.
"It is a special day for dad to be back home...and it does feel like a homecoming," Stephanie said.
Col. Boston will be laid to rest next to his wife Deanna who was buried at the Air Force Academy 23 years ago.
"I think they're already together, but now it will be formally a place that we can visit," said Stephanie. "He loved serving his country and I think his country is now again able to serve him."
*******************************************
Missing Vietnam War pilot ID'd; children to bring remains back to Colorado
Posted: 07/06/2011 01:00:00 AM MDT
Updated: 07/06/2011 10:38:19 AM MDT
By Liz Navratil
The Denver Post
Air Force Col. Leo "Sid" Boston was lost April 29, 1966, flying over Vietnam. Part of his kneecap was found by a farmer and identified recently using DNA. (Special to The Denver Post)
It's been 45 years since Bethany Boston-Johnson saw her father, Col. Leo "Sid" Boston, an Air Force pilot who went missing during a search-and-rescue mission in the Vietnam War.
This Sunday, Boston-Johnson, 52, and her brother, John Boston, will fly to Hawaii to bring back what remains of their father — a sliver of a kneecap collected by a Vietnamese farmer more than a decade ago. The U.S. Department of Defense announced Tuesday that it had identified the pilot using DNA from his mother and brother.
"We're in awe of two things," said Boston-Johnson, of Vail. "We're clearly in awe of the DNA technology that could give us this answer, and we're also in awe of the mantra of the military of 'no man left behind.' This is probably one of the more dramatic examples of that."
Soldiers hoped to find Boston, 30, of Cañon City, after he went missing April 29, 1966, while flying over Son La province in Vietnam, near the Laos border. Fighting kept them away.
Service members got their next tip in 1996, when members led by the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command, which seeks to find missing soldiers, interviewed a farmer in Son La province. The farmer had a helmet, a revolver, some aircraft pieces and a kneecap. He refused to hand them over but allowed the American and Vietnamese workers to take photos.
"Sometimes the villagers were protective for whatever reasons," said Maj. Carie Parker, spokeswoman for the POW/Missing Personnel Office in the Department of Defense.
Nasty weather made it hard for workers to continue their investigation. In 1997, after they determined that the artifacts were American, workers returned to Son La and interviewed more people who said they saw plane parts nearby. But a dam had recently burst, flooding the space where a plane was supposed to be.
It took three years for officials to persuade the Vietnamese farmer to hand over the kneecap. In April 2000, the bone landed at the Central Identification Laboratory in Hawaii, which works to identify missing soldiers. In June of that year, lab workers tried to match DNA from the bone with DNA from the pilot's mother and brother, Edythe Marie and Jon Boston.
But technology wasn't advanced enough to draw a conclusion from the tiny bone. A decade later, they tried again with new equipment and got close to a 99 percent match, Boston-Johnson said.
This April, Boston-Johnson received a call from Air Force Mortuary Affairs "for the first time in 45 years."
"They had never used the word mortuary in conjunction with my father," Boston-Johnson said. It was then that she knew they had ID'd her father. "I was speechless," she said.
She and her family will hold a funeral service for her father at 1 p.m. July 15 at the Air Force Academy Cemetery near Colorado Springs.
"Our sense of closure has been greatly increased," Boston-Johnson said. "There's still a lot left to the imagination about what might have happened that day, but with the DNA finding, we find ourselves most of the way there."
In addition to Boston-Johnson and her brother, of Chicago, and Boston's mother and brother, the pilot also is survived by daughter Stephanie Boston Danielson and two sisters.
****************************
105 Howitzer in Col. Leo Sidney Boston War Memorial Park
in Military Ground Equipment Displays
Posted by: condor1
N 38° 26.037 W 105° 06.196
13S E 490986 N 4253969
Quick Description: This nice piece of field artillery is located near the Fremont County Airport in the Col. Leo Boston War Memorial Park.
Location: Colorado, United States
Date Posted: 12/5/2008 9:46:15 PM
Waymark Code: WM5A75
Published By: GEO*Trailblazer 1
***************************
.
Remains Id'd 07/2011
*** Lieutenant Colonel Boston was a member of the 602nd Tactical Fighter Squadron, 14th Air Commando Wing, Ubon, Thailand. On April 29, 1966, he was the pilot of a Douglas Skyraider Attack Aircraft (A1-E) on a search and rescue mission about 5 miles west of the Black River in Son La Province, North Vietnam when he was reported missing. His remains were not recovered. His name is inscribed on the Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial.
You may be gone, no longer living on this earth; but you will live on - in the memories of your family and friends. There will always be a part of you living in those who knew you. You will live on because we remember you!
LEO SIDNEY BOSTON - Air Force - COL - O6
Age: 42
Race: Caucasian
Date of Birth May 12, 1935
From: CANON CITY, CO
Religion: METHODIST
Marital Status: Married - Dorothy Deanna Curtis who was buried at the Air Force Academy 23 years ago and a father of three (his daughters Stephanie Boston Danielson, Bethany Boston-Johnson, of Vail ). His late Father, John Sidney Boston and his mother, Edythe (Edith) Marie Hall Boston. (Edythe Hall was born on a farm in the Oklahoma Panhandle, the daughter of Richard and Carry Hall.). And a brother, Jon Boston and two sisters.
***** Dear Sidney,
I wish we could have shared these many years which have gone by together. You're thought of everyday. Beth, Steph and John are wonderful children and doing just fine. You have a beautiful granddaughter, Sydney Ily. Steph is very proud of her.
Mom missed you dearly on Mother's Day, her 39th since being notified about your MIA status on your birthday and Mother's Day in 1966. She has great faith and you are always with her.
Dick Boston, USMC, RVN, 1966-1968
He is my brother
***** Mother - Edythe (Hall) Boston of Canon City, Colo., a Goodwell native, was inducted into the Panhandle State Association's Alumni Ambassador Hall of Fame on Saturday evening, April 17, 2004, at the association's annual meeting and banquet. In his nomination of this year's co-recipient, Association Past President Troy Morris stated, "The first year that I was president . . . I met Edythe Boston. She has been at almost all the Spring Reunion banquets since that time and (has) celebrated her 60th year reunion." Mrs. Boston is a Life Member.
Edythe Hall was born on a farm in the Oklahoma Panhandle, the daughter of Richard and Carry Hall. She graduated from the 8th grade at New Bethel and her family moved to a farm near Goodwell. Edythe attended secondary school at Panhandle A&M College, earning her high school diploma with honors. She enrolled in classes at the same college, now known as Oklahoma Panhandle State University, majoring in Home Economics and education. In 1933, she earned her Bachelor of Science degree and received a lifetime high school and 5 year teacher's certificate.
When Edythe Hall and Sid Boston were married August 2, 1934, she resigned her teaching position as only single women were employed as teachers during the Depression. The Bostons had two sons and two daughters and lived in Goodwell and Guymon for 14 years. Edythe was active in the Methodist church, garden club, and Order of Eastern Star, eventually becoming a Past Worthy Matron. In 1948, Sid and Edythe bought a -5acre mini farm in Canon City, Colo., where they lived for 16 years.
Edythe Boston has been a member and supporter of the League of Families of POW-MIA's for 38 years, working for a full accounting of American service people.
Her son, Colonel Leo Sidney Boston is MIA in Vietnam. In 1971, Edythe and Sid went to Paris, contacting the Vietnamese ambassador to plead for more humane treatment of POW's.
Mrs. Boston has been a member of the American Association of University Women since 1950, and had a chair donated in her honor at the Fremont Center of the Arts in March 2001. In that year, she was honored as Woman of the Year. Edythe was given a life membership in the Women's Society of Christian Service, now known as United Methodist Women, and is Acting treasurer of the Evening Star Mission Circle.
Edythe Boston has played bridge in the Royal Gorge Bridge Club, at Colorado State Prison (visiting only!), and the Canon City and Skyline Clubs. She has also competed in many regional tournaments, amassing over 1100 Master Points. Mrs. Boston now ranks Silver Life Master. She recently played in the Hawaiian Regional and was listed in the top 50 scores. After writing poetry for thirty years, Edythe Boston published a 300-page book of her works, some of which have also been published in Cappers magazine.
In 2003 her Blue Book of Gems #2 was published.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Obituary - Col. Leo S. Boston
On April 15th, 2011 the 'Children and Family members of Col. Leo S. Boston were informed that his remains had been formally and positively identified by DNA experts working with Joint Prisoners of War, Missing in Action Accounting Command in Honolulu, Hawaii at a laboratory called CIL-HI. Col. Boston, or "Sid" as he was known, was born in Goodwell, OK and moved with his Family to Canon City, CO in 1948. He graduated from Canon City High School with the Class of 1953 and was an avid sportsman, hunter and fisherman. After graduation, he first attended Panhandle State University Air Force Aviation Cadet Flight training program. Upon earning his "wings" and a commission as a 2nd Lt., he returned to Canon City to marry his high school sweetheart, Dorothy Deanna Curtis. Various assignments of Boston have included O'Hare International Airport flying F-84 and F-86 aircraft, and K.I. Sawyer Air Force Base/Strategic Air Command flying the Fo101. Col. Boston next attended OSU where he earned his degree in Business Management in 1965. He next volunteered for flying with the 602nd Fighter Squadron and went to the Air Commando Group for training in the A-1E Skyraider at Elgin AFB in Florida. He arrived in Vietnam in March of 1966. On April 29, 1966, Col. Boston was flying a Search and Rescue Mission near Hanoi, N. Vietnam. His plane became separated from his wing man during hostile air and nothing was known of his fate. An intermittent beeper was heard the next day but its origin was unknown and searches revealed no sign of Boston or his plane. Boston's Wife joined the National League of Families of American Prisoners and Missing in Southeast Asia upon its inception, in 1970, and made public speeches for the cause of the Missing-in-Action numerous times in Colorado. She made many trips to Washington, DC to attend meetings in search of her Husband until her untimely death in August 2, 1988. Boston's Daughters and Brother continued to attend meetings and follow the case's progress diligently but no leads came for over 30 years. A break came in the late'90's when a crash site area was discovered through government investigations. Remains from the village combined with eye-witness accounts led to the repatriation of the remains by the government in 2000, but due to the small amount of remains consisting only of a small kneecap fragment, DNA identification at that time was not possible. In April the Family received the news they had been waiting for nearly 45 years'" that the kneecap fragment had matched DNA samples taken of his Mother and Brother. The Family would like to thank the National League of Families in Washington DC for continuing to keep the cause of full accounting of the "Missing-in-Action in Southeast Asia" moving forward. Further, the Family would like to thank the USAF personnel and friends, too numerous to mention, who have supported the Family through all these difficult years. Col. Boston is survived by his Daughter's Bethany Boston Johnson of Vail, Stephanie Boston Danielson (Patrick) of Canon City and Son, John S. Boston II of Chicago, IL, his Mother, Edythe Marie Hall Boston, his Brother Jon R. Boston (Nancy) of Wisconsin and Las Vegas, Sister's Gayle Knowles (Ron) of Kiowa and Daria DelDuca (Chuck Caston) of Parker, Granddaughter Sydney Ily Danielson of Canon City and many aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews. We would also honor his late Father, John Sidney Boston, his late Wife, Dorothy Deanna Boston and his late Nephew Daniel DelDuca. A Military Graveside Funeral will be held this coming Friday, July 15th at 1PM at the United States Air Force Academy and all who wish to honor his life are invited to attend. In lieu of flowers the Col. Leo S. Boston Memorial Fund has been established at Pueblo Bank & Trust, 1401 Main St., Canon City, CO 81212.
Published in The Gazette on July 9, 2011
COL - O6 - Air Force - Reserve
His tour began on Apr 29, 1966
Casualty was on Apr 27, 1978
In , NORTH VIETNAM
Hostile, died while missing, FIXED WING - PILOT
AIR LOSS, CRASH ON LAND
Body was not recovered
Panel 07E - Line 7
Other Personnel in Incident: (none missing)
Lieutenant Colonel Boston was a member of the 602nd Tactical Fighter Squadron, 14th Air Commando Wing, Ubon, Thailand.
On April 29, 1966, he was the pilot of a Douglas Skyraider Attack Aircraft (A1-E) on a search and rescue mission about 5 miles west of the Black River in Son La Province, North Vietnam when he was reported missing.
His remains were not recovered.
*****************************************
MIA Airman Buried At Air Force Academy Friday
An Airman who went missing in action over North Vietnam in 1966 was buried at the Air Force Academy on Friday.
Posted: 11:37 AM Jul 15, 2011
Reporter: KKTV
An Airman who went missing in action over North Vietnam in 1966 was buried with full military honors at the Air Force Academy on Friday.
The funeral ceremony for Colonel Leo Sidney Boston was held at the Air Force Academy Cemetery on Friday afternoon. A large crowd, including Boston's friends and family were on hand, as well as a large contingent of the Patriot Guard.
"It's just such a blessing," said his daughter Stephanie Boston Danielson on Friday. "It's overwhelming, but it's a good feeling too. I feel very warm."
Boston's children, and his mother, Edythe Hall Boston were presented with American flags at the ceremony. A flyover of four F-16's capped off the service. His family hopes many will remember Col. Boston the way they do:"As a hero that served his country and was glad to do so," said Stephanie.
Stephanie was a little girl when her father was a member of the 14th Air Commando Wing assigned to Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand in 1966. That year, he went MIA.
Then a captain, he was the pilot of an A-1E Skyraider which was on a search and rescue mission when he was reported missing. The general procedure for a rescue escort entailed two A-1 Skyraiders flying directly to the search area to look for signs of the downed crewmen while two other A-1s escorted the rescue helicopter to the area. If necessary, the A-1s would attack enemy in the area with bombs, rockets and cannon fire so that the rescue helicopter could land.
His aircraft, the lead plane in a flight of two, became separated from the other aircraft during the mission. No visual contact was made and no radio transmissions were received from him. "There was a turn, all of a sudden my dad had just vanished," said Stephanie.
The last known location of the flight was about five miles west of the Black River in Son La Province, North Vietnam.
From Canon City, and a father of three, Boston had a passion for flying. His disappearance helped touch off a search that ended decades later with an advance in modern science. "We really never thought we'd see this day so many times. It's just a blessing for our family.
Between 1996 and 2005, joint U.S.-Vietnam teams, led by the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command, analyzed numerous leads, interviewed villagers in Son La Province, and conducted excavations that recovered aircraft wreckage, human remains and crew-related equipment. Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory used mitochondrial DNA – which matched that of Boston's mother and brother – in the identification. His remains were positively identified April 4, 2011.
"It is a special day for dad to be back home...and it does feel like a homecoming," Stephanie said.
Col. Boston will be laid to rest next to his wife Deanna who was buried at the Air Force Academy 23 years ago.
"I think they're already together, but now it will be formally a place that we can visit," said Stephanie. "He loved serving his country and I think his country is now again able to serve him."
*******************************************
Missing Vietnam War pilot ID'd; children to bring remains back to Colorado
Posted: 07/06/2011 01:00:00 AM MDT
Updated: 07/06/2011 10:38:19 AM MDT
By Liz Navratil
The Denver Post
Air Force Col. Leo "Sid" Boston was lost April 29, 1966, flying over Vietnam. Part of his kneecap was found by a farmer and identified recently using DNA. (Special to The Denver Post)
It's been 45 years since Bethany Boston-Johnson saw her father, Col. Leo "Sid" Boston, an Air Force pilot who went missing during a search-and-rescue mission in the Vietnam War.
This Sunday, Boston-Johnson, 52, and her brother, John Boston, will fly to Hawaii to bring back what remains of their father — a sliver of a kneecap collected by a Vietnamese farmer more than a decade ago. The U.S. Department of Defense announced Tuesday that it had identified the pilot using DNA from his mother and brother.
"We're in awe of two things," said Boston-Johnson, of Vail. "We're clearly in awe of the DNA technology that could give us this answer, and we're also in awe of the mantra of the military of 'no man left behind.' This is probably one of the more dramatic examples of that."
Soldiers hoped to find Boston, 30, of Cañon City, after he went missing April 29, 1966, while flying over Son La province in Vietnam, near the Laos border. Fighting kept them away.
Service members got their next tip in 1996, when members led by the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command, which seeks to find missing soldiers, interviewed a farmer in Son La province. The farmer had a helmet, a revolver, some aircraft pieces and a kneecap. He refused to hand them over but allowed the American and Vietnamese workers to take photos.
"Sometimes the villagers were protective for whatever reasons," said Maj. Carie Parker, spokeswoman for the POW/Missing Personnel Office in the Department of Defense.
Nasty weather made it hard for workers to continue their investigation. In 1997, after they determined that the artifacts were American, workers returned to Son La and interviewed more people who said they saw plane parts nearby. But a dam had recently burst, flooding the space where a plane was supposed to be.
It took three years for officials to persuade the Vietnamese farmer to hand over the kneecap. In April 2000, the bone landed at the Central Identification Laboratory in Hawaii, which works to identify missing soldiers. In June of that year, lab workers tried to match DNA from the bone with DNA from the pilot's mother and brother, Edythe Marie and Jon Boston.
But technology wasn't advanced enough to draw a conclusion from the tiny bone. A decade later, they tried again with new equipment and got close to a 99 percent match, Boston-Johnson said.
This April, Boston-Johnson received a call from Air Force Mortuary Affairs "for the first time in 45 years."
"They had never used the word mortuary in conjunction with my father," Boston-Johnson said. It was then that she knew they had ID'd her father. "I was speechless," she said.
She and her family will hold a funeral service for her father at 1 p.m. July 15 at the Air Force Academy Cemetery near Colorado Springs.
"Our sense of closure has been greatly increased," Boston-Johnson said. "There's still a lot left to the imagination about what might have happened that day, but with the DNA finding, we find ourselves most of the way there."
In addition to Boston-Johnson and her brother, of Chicago, and Boston's mother and brother, the pilot also is survived by daughter Stephanie Boston Danielson and two sisters.
****************************
105 Howitzer in Col. Leo Sidney Boston War Memorial Park
in Military Ground Equipment Displays
Posted by: condor1
N 38° 26.037 W 105° 06.196
13S E 490986 N 4253969
Quick Description: This nice piece of field artillery is located near the Fremont County Airport in the Col. Leo Boston War Memorial Park.
Location: Colorado, United States
Date Posted: 12/5/2008 9:46:15 PM
Waymark Code: WM5A75
Published By: GEO*Trailblazer 1
***************************
.
In loving memory of... Leo Sidney Boston.
Remains Id'd 07/2011
*** Lieutenant Colonel Boston was a member of the 602nd Tactical Fighter Squadron, 14th Air Commando Wing, Ubon, Thailand. On April 29, 1966, he was the pilot of a Douglas Skyraider Attack Aircraft (A1-E) on a search and rescue mission about 5 miles west of the Black River in Son La Province, North Vietnam when he was reported missing. His remains were not recovered. His name is inscribed on the Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial.
You may be gone, no longer living on this earth; but you will live on - in the memories of your family and friends. There will always be a part of you living in those who knew you. You will live on because we remember you!
LEO SIDNEY BOSTON - Air Force - COL - O6
Age: 42
Race: Caucasian
Date of Birth May 12, 1935
From: CANON CITY, CO
Religion: METHODIST
Marital Status: Married - Dorothy Deanna Curtis who was buried at the Air Force Academy 23 years ago and a father of three (his daughters Stephanie Boston Danielson, Bethany Boston-Johnson, of Vail ). His late Father, John Sidney Boston and his mother, Edythe (Edith) Marie Hall Boston. (Edythe Hall was born on a farm in the Oklahoma Panhandle, the daughter of Richard and Carry Hall.). And a brother, Jon Boston and two sisters.
***** Dear Sidney,
I wish we could have shared these many years which have gone by together. You're thought of everyday. Beth, Steph and John are wonderful children and doing just fine. You have a beautiful granddaughter, Sydney Ily. Steph is very proud of her.
Mom missed you dearly on Mother's Day, her 39th since being notified about your MIA status on your birthday and Mother's Day in 1966. She has great faith and you are always with her.
Dick Boston, USMC, RVN, 1966-1968
He is my brother
***** Mother - Edythe (Hall) Boston of Canon City, Colo., a Goodwell native, was inducted into the Panhandle State Association's Alumni Ambassador Hall of Fame on Saturday evening, April 17, 2004, at the association's annual meeting and banquet. In his nomination of this year's co-recipient, Association Past President Troy Morris stated, "The first year that I was president . . . I met Edythe Boston. She has been at almost all the Spring Reunion banquets since that time and (has) celebrated her 60th year reunion." Mrs. Boston is a Life Member.
Edythe Hall was born on a farm in the Oklahoma Panhandle, the daughter of Richard and Carry Hall. She graduated from the 8th grade at New Bethel and her family moved to a farm near Goodwell. Edythe attended secondary school at Panhandle A&M College, earning her high school diploma with honors. She enrolled in classes at the same college, now known as Oklahoma Panhandle State University, majoring in Home Economics and education. In 1933, she earned her Bachelor of Science degree and received a lifetime high school and 5 year teacher's certificate.
When Edythe Hall and Sid Boston were married August 2, 1934, she resigned her teaching position as only single women were employed as teachers during the Depression. The Bostons had two sons and two daughters and lived in Goodwell and Guymon for 14 years. Edythe was active in the Methodist church, garden club, and Order of Eastern Star, eventually becoming a Past Worthy Matron. In 1948, Sid and Edythe bought a -5acre mini farm in Canon City, Colo., where they lived for 16 years.
Edythe Boston has been a member and supporter of the League of Families of POW-MIA's for 38 years, working for a full accounting of American service people.
Her son, Colonel Leo Sidney Boston is MIA in Vietnam. In 1971, Edythe and Sid went to Paris, contacting the Vietnamese ambassador to plead for more humane treatment of POW's.
Mrs. Boston has been a member of the American Association of University Women since 1950, and had a chair donated in her honor at the Fremont Center of the Arts in March 2001. In that year, she was honored as Woman of the Year. Edythe was given a life membership in the Women's Society of Christian Service, now known as United Methodist Women, and is Acting treasurer of the Evening Star Mission Circle.
Edythe Boston has played bridge in the Royal Gorge Bridge Club, at Colorado State Prison (visiting only!), and the Canon City and Skyline Clubs. She has also competed in many regional tournaments, amassing over 1100 Master Points. Mrs. Boston now ranks Silver Life Master. She recently played in the Hawaiian Regional and was listed in the top 50 scores. After writing poetry for thirty years, Edythe Boston published a 300-page book of her works, some of which have also been published in Cappers magazine.
In 2003 her Blue Book of Gems #2 was published.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Obituary - Col. Leo S. Boston
On April 15th, 2011 the 'Children and Family members of Col. Leo S. Boston were informed that his remains had been formally and positively identified by DNA experts working with Joint Prisoners of War, Missing in Action Accounting Command in Honolulu, Hawaii at a laboratory called CIL-HI. Col. Boston, or "Sid" as he was known, was born in Goodwell, OK and moved with his Family to Canon City, CO in 1948. He graduated from Canon City High School with the Class of 1953 and was an avid sportsman, hunter and fisherman. After graduation, he first attended Panhandle State University Air Force Aviation Cadet Flight training program. Upon earning his "wings" and a commission as a 2nd Lt., he returned to Canon City to marry his high school sweetheart, Dorothy Deanna Curtis. Various assignments of Boston have included O'Hare International Airport flying F-84 and F-86 aircraft, and K.I. Sawyer Air Force Base/Strategic Air Command flying the Fo101. Col. Boston next attended OSU where he earned his degree in Business Management in 1965. He next volunteered for flying with the 602nd Fighter Squadron and went to the Air Commando Group for training in the A-1E Skyraider at Elgin AFB in Florida. He arrived in Vietnam in March of 1966. On April 29, 1966, Col. Boston was flying a Search and Rescue Mission near Hanoi, N. Vietnam. His plane became separated from his wing man during hostile air and nothing was known of his fate. An intermittent beeper was heard the next day but its origin was unknown and searches revealed no sign of Boston or his plane. Boston's Wife joined the National League of Families of American Prisoners and Missing in Southeast Asia upon its inception, in 1970, and made public speeches for the cause of the Missing-in-Action numerous times in Colorado. She made many trips to Washington, DC to attend meetings in search of her Husband until her untimely death in August 2, 1988. Boston's Daughters and Brother continued to attend meetings and follow the case's progress diligently but no leads came for over 30 years. A break came in the late'90's when a crash site area was discovered through government investigations. Remains from the village combined with eye-witness accounts led to the repatriation of the remains by the government in 2000, but due to the small amount of remains consisting only of a small kneecap fragment, DNA identification at that time was not possible. In April the Family received the news they had been waiting for nearly 45 years'" that the kneecap fragment had matched DNA samples taken of his Mother and Brother. The Family would like to thank the National League of Families in Washington DC for continuing to keep the cause of full accounting of the "Missing-in-Action in Southeast Asia" moving forward. Further, the Family would like to thank the USAF personnel and friends, too numerous to mention, who have supported the Family through all these difficult years. Col. Boston is survived by his Daughter's Bethany Boston Johnson of Vail, Stephanie Boston Danielson (Patrick) of Canon City and Son, John S. Boston II of Chicago, IL, his Mother, Edythe Marie Hall Boston, his Brother Jon R. Boston (Nancy) of Wisconsin and Las Vegas, Sister's Gayle Knowles (Ron) of Kiowa and Daria DelDuca (Chuck Caston) of Parker, Granddaughter Sydney Ily Danielson of Canon City and many aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews. We would also honor his late Father, John Sidney Boston, his late Wife, Dorothy Deanna Boston and his late Nephew Daniel DelDuca. A Military Graveside Funeral will be held this coming Friday, July 15th at 1PM at the United States Air Force Academy and all who wish to honor his life are invited to attend. In lieu of flowers the Col. Leo S. Boston Memorial Fund has been established at Pueblo Bank & Trust, 1401 Main St., Canon City, CO 81212.
Published in The Gazette on July 9, 2011
COL - O6 - Air Force - Reserve
His tour began on Apr 29, 1966
Casualty was on Apr 27, 1978
In , NORTH VIETNAM
Hostile, died while missing, FIXED WING - PILOT
AIR LOSS, CRASH ON LAND
Body was not recovered
Panel 07E - Line 7
Other Personnel in Incident: (none missing)
Lieutenant Colonel Boston was a member of the 602nd Tactical Fighter Squadron, 14th Air Commando Wing, Ubon, Thailand.
On April 29, 1966, he was the pilot of a Douglas Skyraider Attack Aircraft (A1-E) on a search and rescue mission about 5 miles west of the Black River in Son La Province, North Vietnam when he was reported missing.
His remains were not recovered.
*****************************************
MIA Airman Buried At Air Force Academy Friday
An Airman who went missing in action over North Vietnam in 1966 was buried at the Air Force Academy on Friday.
Posted: 11:37 AM Jul 15, 2011
Reporter: KKTV
An Airman who went missing in action over North Vietnam in 1966 was buried with full military honors at the Air Force Academy on Friday.
The funeral ceremony for Colonel Leo Sidney Boston was held at the Air Force Academy Cemetery on Friday afternoon. A large crowd, including Boston's friends and family were on hand, as well as a large contingent of the Patriot Guard.
"It's just such a blessing," said his daughter Stephanie Boston Danielson on Friday. "It's overwhelming, but it's a good feeling too. I feel very warm."
Boston's children, and his mother, Edythe Hall Boston were presented with American flags at the ceremony. A flyover of four F-16's capped off the service. His family hopes many will remember Col. Boston the way they do:"As a hero that served his country and was glad to do so," said Stephanie.
Stephanie was a little girl when her father was a member of the 14th Air Commando Wing assigned to Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand in 1966. That year, he went MIA.
Then a captain, he was the pilot of an A-1E Skyraider which was on a search and rescue mission when he was reported missing. The general procedure for a rescue escort entailed two A-1 Skyraiders flying directly to the search area to look for signs of the downed crewmen while two other A-1s escorted the rescue helicopter to the area. If necessary, the A-1s would attack enemy in the area with bombs, rockets and cannon fire so that the rescue helicopter could land.
His aircraft, the lead plane in a flight of two, became separated from the other aircraft during the mission. No visual contact was made and no radio transmissions were received from him. "There was a turn, all of a sudden my dad had just vanished," said Stephanie.
The last known location of the flight was about five miles west of the Black River in Son La Province, North Vietnam.
From Canon City, and a father of three, Boston had a passion for flying. His disappearance helped touch off a search that ended decades later with an advance in modern science. "We really never thought we'd see this day so many times. It's just a blessing for our family.
Between 1996 and 2005, joint U.S.-Vietnam teams, led by the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command, analyzed numerous leads, interviewed villagers in Son La Province, and conducted excavations that recovered aircraft wreckage, human remains and crew-related equipment. Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory used mitochondrial DNA – which matched that of Boston's mother and brother – in the identification. His remains were positively identified April 4, 2011.
"It is a special day for dad to be back home...and it does feel like a homecoming," Stephanie said.
Col. Boston will be laid to rest next to his wife Deanna who was buried at the Air Force Academy 23 years ago.
"I think they're already together, but now it will be formally a place that we can visit," said Stephanie. "He loved serving his country and I think his country is now again able to serve him."
*******************************************
Missing Vietnam War pilot ID'd; children to bring remains back to Colorado
Posted: 07/06/2011 01:00:00 AM MDT
Updated: 07/06/2011 10:38:19 AM MDT
By Liz Navratil
The Denver Post
Air Force Col. Leo "Sid" Boston was lost April 29, 1966, flying over Vietnam. Part of his kneecap was found by a farmer and identified recently using DNA. (Special to The Denver Post)
It's been 45 years since Bethany Boston-Johnson saw her father, Col. Leo "Sid" Boston, an Air Force pilot who went missing during a search-and-rescue mission in the Vietnam War.
This Sunday, Boston-Johnson, 52, and her brother, John Boston, will fly to Hawaii to bring back what remains of their father — a sliver of a kneecap collected by a Vietnamese farmer more than a decade ago. The U.S. Department of Defense announced Tuesday that it had identified the pilot using DNA from his mother and brother.
"We're in awe of two things," said Boston-Johnson, of Vail. "We're clearly in awe of the DNA technology that could give us this answer, and we're also in awe of the mantra of the military of 'no man left behind.' This is probably one of the more dramatic examples of that."
Soldiers hoped to find Boston, 30, of Cañon City, after he went missing April 29, 1966, while flying over Son La province in Vietnam, near the Laos border. Fighting kept them away.
Service members got their next tip in 1996, when members led by the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command, which seeks to find missing soldiers, interviewed a farmer in Son La province. The farmer had a helmet, a revolver, some aircraft pieces and a kneecap. He refused to hand them over but allowed the American and Vietnamese workers to take photos.
"Sometimes the villagers were protective for whatever reasons," said Maj. Carie Parker, spokeswoman for the POW/Missing Personnel Office in the Department of Defense.
Nasty weather made it hard for workers to continue their investigation. In 1997, after they determined that the artifacts were American, workers returned to Son La and interviewed more people who said they saw plane parts nearby. But a dam had recently burst, flooding the space where a plane was supposed to be.
It took three years for officials to persuade the Vietnamese farmer to hand over the kneecap. In April 2000, the bone landed at the Central Identification Laboratory in Hawaii, which works to identify missing soldiers. In June of that year, lab workers tried to match DNA from the bone with DNA from the pilot's mother and brother, Edythe Marie and Jon Boston.
But technology wasn't advanced enough to draw a conclusion from the tiny bone. A decade later, they tried again with new equipment and got close to a 99 percent match, Boston-Johnson said.
This April, Boston-Johnson received a call from Air Force Mortuary Affairs "for the first time in 45 years."
"They had never used the word mortuary in conjunction with my father," Boston-Johnson said. It was then that she knew they had ID'd her father. "I was speechless," she said.
She and her family will hold a funeral service for her father at 1 p.m. July 15 at the Air Force Academy Cemetery near Colorado Springs.
"Our sense of closure has been greatly increased," Boston-Johnson said. "There's still a lot left to the imagination about what might have happened that day, but with the DNA finding, we find ourselves most of the way there."
In addition to Boston-Johnson and her brother, of Chicago, and Boston's mother and brother, the pilot also is survived by daughter Stephanie Boston Danielson and two sisters.
****************************
105 Howitzer in Col. Leo Sidney Boston War Memorial Park
in Military Ground Equipment Displays
Posted by: condor1
N 38° 26.037 W 105° 06.196
13S E 490986 N 4253969
Quick Description: This nice piece of field artillery is located near the Fremont County Airport in the Col. Leo Boston War Memorial Park.
Location: Colorado, United States
Date Posted: 12/5/2008 9:46:15 PM
Waymark Code: WM5A75
Published By: GEO*Trailblazer 1
***************************
.
Remains Id'd 07/2011
*** Lieutenant Colonel Boston was a member of the 602nd Tactical Fighter Squadron, 14th Air Commando Wing, Ubon, Thailand. On April 29, 1966, he was the pilot of a Douglas Skyraider Attack Aircraft (A1-E) on a search and rescue mission about 5 miles west of the Black River in Son La Province, North Vietnam when he was reported missing. His remains were not recovered. His name is inscribed on the Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial.
You may be gone, no longer living on this earth; but you will live on - in the memories of your family and friends. There will always be a part of you living in those who knew you. You will live on because we remember you!
LEO SIDNEY BOSTON - Air Force - COL - O6
Age: 42
Race: Caucasian
Date of Birth May 12, 1935
From: CANON CITY, CO
Religion: METHODIST
Marital Status: Married - Dorothy Deanna Curtis who was buried at the Air Force Academy 23 years ago and a father of three (his daughters Stephanie Boston Danielson, Bethany Boston-Johnson, of Vail ). His late Father, John Sidney Boston and his mother, Edythe (Edith) Marie Hall Boston. (Edythe Hall was born on a farm in the Oklahoma Panhandle, the daughter of Richard and Carry Hall.). And a brother, Jon Boston and two sisters.
***** Dear Sidney,
I wish we could have shared these many years which have gone by together. You're thought of everyday. Beth, Steph and John are wonderful children and doing just fine. You have a beautiful granddaughter, Sydney Ily. Steph is very proud of her.
Mom missed you dearly on Mother's Day, her 39th since being notified about your MIA status on your birthday and Mother's Day in 1966. She has great faith and you are always with her.
Dick Boston, USMC, RVN, 1966-1968
He is my brother
***** Mother - Edythe (Hall) Boston of Canon City, Colo., a Goodwell native, was inducted into the Panhandle State Association's Alumni Ambassador Hall of Fame on Saturday evening, April 17, 2004, at the association's annual meeting and banquet. In his nomination of this year's co-recipient, Association Past President Troy Morris stated, "The first year that I was president . . . I met Edythe Boston. She has been at almost all the Spring Reunion banquets since that time and (has) celebrated her 60th year reunion." Mrs. Boston is a Life Member.
Edythe Hall was born on a farm in the Oklahoma Panhandle, the daughter of Richard and Carry Hall. She graduated from the 8th grade at New Bethel and her family moved to a farm near Goodwell. Edythe attended secondary school at Panhandle A&M College, earning her high school diploma with honors. She enrolled in classes at the same college, now known as Oklahoma Panhandle State University, majoring in Home Economics and education. In 1933, she earned her Bachelor of Science degree and received a lifetime high school and 5 year teacher's certificate.
When Edythe Hall and Sid Boston were married August 2, 1934, she resigned her teaching position as only single women were employed as teachers during the Depression. The Bostons had two sons and two daughters and lived in Goodwell and Guymon for 14 years. Edythe was active in the Methodist church, garden club, and Order of Eastern Star, eventually becoming a Past Worthy Matron. In 1948, Sid and Edythe bought a -5acre mini farm in Canon City, Colo., where they lived for 16 years.
Edythe Boston has been a member and supporter of the League of Families of POW-MIA's for 38 years, working for a full accounting of American service people.
Her son, Colonel Leo Sidney Boston is MIA in Vietnam. In 1971, Edythe and Sid went to Paris, contacting the Vietnamese ambassador to plead for more humane treatment of POW's.
Mrs. Boston has been a member of the American Association of University Women since 1950, and had a chair donated in her honor at the Fremont Center of the Arts in March 2001. In that year, she was honored as Woman of the Year. Edythe was given a life membership in the Women's Society of Christian Service, now known as United Methodist Women, and is Acting treasurer of the Evening Star Mission Circle.
Edythe Boston has played bridge in the Royal Gorge Bridge Club, at Colorado State Prison (visiting only!), and the Canon City and Skyline Clubs. She has also competed in many regional tournaments, amassing over 1100 Master Points. Mrs. Boston now ranks Silver Life Master. She recently played in the Hawaiian Regional and was listed in the top 50 scores. After writing poetry for thirty years, Edythe Boston published a 300-page book of her works, some of which have also been published in Cappers magazine.
In 2003 her Blue Book of Gems #2 was published.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Obituary - Col. Leo S. Boston
On April 15th, 2011 the 'Children and Family members of Col. Leo S. Boston were informed that his remains had been formally and positively identified by DNA experts working with Joint Prisoners of War, Missing in Action Accounting Command in Honolulu, Hawaii at a laboratory called CIL-HI. Col. Boston, or "Sid" as he was known, was born in Goodwell, OK and moved with his Family to Canon City, CO in 1948. He graduated from Canon City High School with the Class of 1953 and was an avid sportsman, hunter and fisherman. After graduation, he first attended Panhandle State University Air Force Aviation Cadet Flight training program. Upon earning his "wings" and a commission as a 2nd Lt., he returned to Canon City to marry his high school sweetheart, Dorothy Deanna Curtis. Various assignments of Boston have included O'Hare International Airport flying F-84 and F-86 aircraft, and K.I. Sawyer Air Force Base/Strategic Air Command flying the Fo101. Col. Boston next attended OSU where he earned his degree in Business Management in 1965. He next volunteered for flying with the 602nd Fighter Squadron and went to the Air Commando Group for training in the A-1E Skyraider at Elgin AFB in Florida. He arrived in Vietnam in March of 1966. On April 29, 1966, Col. Boston was flying a Search and Rescue Mission near Hanoi, N. Vietnam. His plane became separated from his wing man during hostile air and nothing was known of his fate. An intermittent beeper was heard the next day but its origin was unknown and searches revealed no sign of Boston or his plane. Boston's Wife joined the National League of Families of American Prisoners and Missing in Southeast Asia upon its inception, in 1970, and made public speeches for the cause of the Missing-in-Action numerous times in Colorado. She made many trips to Washington, DC to attend meetings in search of her Husband until her untimely death in August 2, 1988. Boston's Daughters and Brother continued to attend meetings and follow the case's progress diligently but no leads came for over 30 years. A break came in the late'90's when a crash site area was discovered through government investigations. Remains from the village combined with eye-witness accounts led to the repatriation of the remains by the government in 2000, but due to the small amount of remains consisting only of a small kneecap fragment, DNA identification at that time was not possible. In April the Family received the news they had been waiting for nearly 45 years'" that the kneecap fragment had matched DNA samples taken of his Mother and Brother. The Family would like to thank the National League of Families in Washington DC for continuing to keep the cause of full accounting of the "Missing-in-Action in Southeast Asia" moving forward. Further, the Family would like to thank the USAF personnel and friends, too numerous to mention, who have supported the Family through all these difficult years. Col. Boston is survived by his Daughter's Bethany Boston Johnson of Vail, Stephanie Boston Danielson (Patrick) of Canon City and Son, John S. Boston II of Chicago, IL, his Mother, Edythe Marie Hall Boston, his Brother Jon R. Boston (Nancy) of Wisconsin and Las Vegas, Sister's Gayle Knowles (Ron) of Kiowa and Daria DelDuca (Chuck Caston) of Parker, Granddaughter Sydney Ily Danielson of Canon City and many aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews. We would also honor his late Father, John Sidney Boston, his late Wife, Dorothy Deanna Boston and his late Nephew Daniel DelDuca. A Military Graveside Funeral will be held this coming Friday, July 15th at 1PM at the United States Air Force Academy and all who wish to honor his life are invited to attend. In lieu of flowers the Col. Leo S. Boston Memorial Fund has been established at Pueblo Bank & Trust, 1401 Main St., Canon City, CO 81212.
Published in The Gazette on July 9, 2011
COL - O6 - Air Force - Reserve
His tour began on Apr 29, 1966
Casualty was on Apr 27, 1978
In , NORTH VIETNAM
Hostile, died while missing, FIXED WING - PILOT
AIR LOSS, CRASH ON LAND
Body was not recovered
Panel 07E - Line 7
Other Personnel in Incident: (none missing)
Lieutenant Colonel Boston was a member of the 602nd Tactical Fighter Squadron, 14th Air Commando Wing, Ubon, Thailand.
On April 29, 1966, he was the pilot of a Douglas Skyraider Attack Aircraft (A1-E) on a search and rescue mission about 5 miles west of the Black River in Son La Province, North Vietnam when he was reported missing.
His remains were not recovered.
*****************************************
MIA Airman Buried At Air Force Academy Friday
An Airman who went missing in action over North Vietnam in 1966 was buried at the Air Force Academy on Friday.
Posted: 11:37 AM Jul 15, 2011
Reporter: KKTV
An Airman who went missing in action over North Vietnam in 1966 was buried with full military honors at the Air Force Academy on Friday.
The funeral ceremony for Colonel Leo Sidney Boston was held at the Air Force Academy Cemetery on Friday afternoon. A large crowd, including Boston's friends and family were on hand, as well as a large contingent of the Patriot Guard.
"It's just such a blessing," said his daughter Stephanie Boston Danielson on Friday. "It's overwhelming, but it's a good feeling too. I feel very warm."
Boston's children, and his mother, Edythe Hall Boston were presented with American flags at the ceremony. A flyover of four F-16's capped off the service. His family hopes many will remember Col. Boston the way they do:"As a hero that served his country and was glad to do so," said Stephanie.
Stephanie was a little girl when her father was a member of the 14th Air Commando Wing assigned to Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand in 1966. That year, he went MIA.
Then a captain, he was the pilot of an A-1E Skyraider which was on a search and rescue mission when he was reported missing. The general procedure for a rescue escort entailed two A-1 Skyraiders flying directly to the search area to look for signs of the downed crewmen while two other A-1s escorted the rescue helicopter to the area. If necessary, the A-1s would attack enemy in the area with bombs, rockets and cannon fire so that the rescue helicopter could land.
His aircraft, the lead plane in a flight of two, became separated from the other aircraft during the mission. No visual contact was made and no radio transmissions were received from him. "There was a turn, all of a sudden my dad had just vanished," said Stephanie.
The last known location of the flight was about five miles west of the Black River in Son La Province, North Vietnam.
From Canon City, and a father of three, Boston had a passion for flying. His disappearance helped touch off a search that ended decades later with an advance in modern science. "We really never thought we'd see this day so many times. It's just a blessing for our family.
Between 1996 and 2005, joint U.S.-Vietnam teams, led by the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command, analyzed numerous leads, interviewed villagers in Son La Province, and conducted excavations that recovered aircraft wreckage, human remains and crew-related equipment. Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory used mitochondrial DNA – which matched that of Boston's mother and brother – in the identification. His remains were positively identified April 4, 2011.
"It is a special day for dad to be back home...and it does feel like a homecoming," Stephanie said.
Col. Boston will be laid to rest next to his wife Deanna who was buried at the Air Force Academy 23 years ago.
"I think they're already together, but now it will be formally a place that we can visit," said Stephanie. "He loved serving his country and I think his country is now again able to serve him."
*******************************************
Missing Vietnam War pilot ID'd; children to bring remains back to Colorado
Posted: 07/06/2011 01:00:00 AM MDT
Updated: 07/06/2011 10:38:19 AM MDT
By Liz Navratil
The Denver Post
Air Force Col. Leo "Sid" Boston was lost April 29, 1966, flying over Vietnam. Part of his kneecap was found by a farmer and identified recently using DNA. (Special to The Denver Post)
It's been 45 years since Bethany Boston-Johnson saw her father, Col. Leo "Sid" Boston, an Air Force pilot who went missing during a search-and-rescue mission in the Vietnam War.
This Sunday, Boston-Johnson, 52, and her brother, John Boston, will fly to Hawaii to bring back what remains of their father — a sliver of a kneecap collected by a Vietnamese farmer more than a decade ago. The U.S. Department of Defense announced Tuesday that it had identified the pilot using DNA from his mother and brother.
"We're in awe of two things," said Boston-Johnson, of Vail. "We're clearly in awe of the DNA technology that could give us this answer, and we're also in awe of the mantra of the military of 'no man left behind.' This is probably one of the more dramatic examples of that."
Soldiers hoped to find Boston, 30, of Cañon City, after he went missing April 29, 1966, while flying over Son La province in Vietnam, near the Laos border. Fighting kept them away.
Service members got their next tip in 1996, when members led by the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command, which seeks to find missing soldiers, interviewed a farmer in Son La province. The farmer had a helmet, a revolver, some aircraft pieces and a kneecap. He refused to hand them over but allowed the American and Vietnamese workers to take photos.
"Sometimes the villagers were protective for whatever reasons," said Maj. Carie Parker, spokeswoman for the POW/Missing Personnel Office in the Department of Defense.
Nasty weather made it hard for workers to continue their investigation. In 1997, after they determined that the artifacts were American, workers returned to Son La and interviewed more people who said they saw plane parts nearby. But a dam had recently burst, flooding the space where a plane was supposed to be.
It took three years for officials to persuade the Vietnamese farmer to hand over the kneecap. In April 2000, the bone landed at the Central Identification Laboratory in Hawaii, which works to identify missing soldiers. In June of that year, lab workers tried to match DNA from the bone with DNA from the pilot's mother and brother, Edythe Marie and Jon Boston.
But technology wasn't advanced enough to draw a conclusion from the tiny bone. A decade later, they tried again with new equipment and got close to a 99 percent match, Boston-Johnson said.
This April, Boston-Johnson received a call from Air Force Mortuary Affairs "for the first time in 45 years."
"They had never used the word mortuary in conjunction with my father," Boston-Johnson said. It was then that she knew they had ID'd her father. "I was speechless," she said.
She and her family will hold a funeral service for her father at 1 p.m. July 15 at the Air Force Academy Cemetery near Colorado Springs.
"Our sense of closure has been greatly increased," Boston-Johnson said. "There's still a lot left to the imagination about what might have happened that day, but with the DNA finding, we find ourselves most of the way there."
In addition to Boston-Johnson and her brother, of Chicago, and Boston's mother and brother, the pilot also is survived by daughter Stephanie Boston Danielson and two sisters.
****************************
105 Howitzer in Col. Leo Sidney Boston War Memorial Park
in Military Ground Equipment Displays
Posted by: condor1
N 38° 26.037 W 105° 06.196
13S E 490986 N 4253969
Quick Description: This nice piece of field artillery is located near the Fremont County Airport in the Col. Leo Boston War Memorial Park.
Location: Colorado, United States
Date Posted: 12/5/2008 9:46:15 PM
Waymark Code: WM5A75
Published By: GEO*Trailblazer 1
***************************
.
Inscription
In memory of ..., Colonel, U.S. Air Force
Family Members
Siblings
