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Taps, Present Arms
David
I. "D.I." Boyd II
Chief Warrant Officer 4 David
I. Boyd II, U.S. Marine Corps, Retired, died May 22, 2000, in
Birmingham, Alabama.
David, better known as
"D.I." to his friends and associates, was a familiar face
on Fort Benning ranges from 1962 to 1998. As a USMC international
rifle shooter, he was attached to and trained with the USAMU International
Rifle
Team
at Fort Benning from 1962 to 1965, and then served as the Chief of
Competitions, U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit from 1993 until his
retirement from Civil Service in 1998.
"D.I."
was one of this nation's premier smallbore rifle, high power rifle,
and international rifle competitors.
David was the 50-meter Prone
Champion at the 1966 World Championships and a member of the record
setting gold medal team. Four years later, he won two gold and two
silver medals at the 1970 World Championships. Additionally, David
was a member of the world record setting team at the 1974 World
Championships. At the 1963 Pan American Games "D.I."
was a member of the gold medal team and at the 1971 Pan Am Games, he
won another gold medal in the Smallbore Prone event. In 1973 and
again in 1977 at the Championships of the Americas, "D.I."
was a member of both winning gold medal teams. His
total medal count in major International Union Shooting (UIT)
competitions was 13 gold and 5 silver medals.
David also garnered a number
of major National Championship titles during his competitive career.
Included in this array was the 1972 National Smallbore Position
Champion, 1973 National Indoor Smallbore Champion, 1977 National
Service Rifle Champion, and 1981 National High Power Rifle Champion.
One of the matches "D.I."
prized the most, however, was being the 1975 USMC Rifle Champion.
From 1965 to 1968, "D.I."
was the Officer In Charge of the USMC International
Rifle
Team.
The following year he served in the Republic of Vietnam (RVN) as a Sniper
Platoon
Leader.
Upon his return from the RVN, he was again placed in charge of the
USMC International
Rifle
Team
for a period of five years. He was assigned to Okinawa in 1974 and
then to Parris Island, South Carolina, from 1975 to 1978 serving as a
Range Officer at
both locations.
Upon completion of his Range Officer tours, "D.I."
once again assumed the duties as OIC of the USMC International
Rifle
Team
until his retirement in 1981. After his retirement from the Corps, "D.I."
worked as the
Assistant Director of
Competitions, National Rifle Association, Washington, DC. David
was selected in
1993 to become the Chief of Competitions, USAMU, Fort Benning Georgia.
During his military career,
CWO4 Boyd was awarded the Navy Commendation Medal with "V"
device and gold star, Good Conduct Medal, Combat Action Ribbon,
Vietnam Cross of Gallantry, Vietnam Combined Action Ribbon, Vietnam
Service Medal, and the Vietnam Service Ribbon with three stars. He
also is a triple distinguished shooter earning the United
States Distinguished International Shooter Badge, USMC
Distinguished Rifleman Badge, and USMC Distinguished Pistol Shot Badge.
Ask any Army rifle shooter who
competed against "D.I."
and they will tell you that he was a
tough Marine competitor. The Army was fortunate when he became Chief
of Competitions for the Army Marksmanship Unit. And while "D.I."
worked for the Army and guided Army shooters to new heights, he
always remained true to the Corps. |
