Boyd C. Higley

11/30/25 - 9/02/99

Photo courtesy of LaVerne Wallace
ATC photo courtesy of Brian Higley

Boyd Higley enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II when he was only 16 or 17 years old. He flew as a radio operator on B-17s. He was then hired by American Export Airlines (AEA) as a radio operator on Vought-Sikorsky VS-44 flying boats, flying from the flying-boat base at La Guardia airport to Lisbon, Portugal. In 1944, AEA started operations on behalf of the U.S. Air Transport Command (ATC), using Douglas C-54's, mainly between the U.S. and military bases in North Africa. Boyd is seen wearing ATC insignia in this photo.

After the war, Boyd was furloughed from AEA which had been renamed American Overseas Airlines. He was hired by Pan American but quit after a week to join Seaboard as a radio operator. When the radio operators were eliminated, he became a flight engineer.

Boyd is seen here in 1973. He is survived by his wife, Eleanor; son, Brian; daughters Gail and Nadine, five grandchildren, and one great-granddaughter.