He completed his career as Facilities Officer at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina, in June 1949.

He was a member of the prominent lawyer family from mother's side and his great-grandfather was Richmond M. Pearson, Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court from 1858 to 1878.

[6][1][2] However, due to resignations of several officers who had been selected for retention on active duty, he was re-appointed second lieutenant in the Regular Marine Corps on September 2, 1919.

[8] During the flight from Santo Domingo to Port-au-Prince, the engine of Boyden's plane suffered mechanical failure over the Maimón mountains and he was forced to parachute to safety.

[10][1][2] In December 1923, Boyden completed the course and was assigned to special temporary duty with the Marine Corps Expeditionary Force of the United States Fleet.

[12][13][1][2] Boyden then remained in Haiti as a member of Observation Squadron 2 and received a Letter of Commendation from the Secretary of the Navy, Curtis D. Wilbur for reaching year's highest score with the free machine gun during individual battle practice.

[14][1][2][15] During March 1927, Boyden was attached to Observation Squadron 1 under Major Ross E. Rowell and departed for Nicaragua, where they were joined the 2nd Brigade of Marines under Brigadier general Logan Feland.

[16][1][2][3] On July 16, 1927, Boyden was in command of an air patrol of two planes when he discovered the small Marine detachment at Ocotal to be besieged by a vastly superior force.

The 37-man Marine Garrison on the ground was surrounded by several hundred sandinistas for whole night, cutting their telegraph line and using sniper fire to suppress their advance.

At around 10:00 am, Boyden landed his plane near the town, grabbed a passing peasant and, after aquick interrogation, headed south to Managua to report the situation to Major Rowell.

[4][1][2] Boyden had gained a reputation as an aerial photography expert and his services were required again in September 1927, when he was ordered to Naval Air Station Key West, Florida.

Boyden was then tasked with the photographing Marine Barracks Parris Island, South Carolina, and making a large mosaic map of the base, that could be used in the planned development of the facility.

[1][2] Boyden returned to the United States in September that year and was stationed again at Quantico until June 1933, when he embarked for Port-au-Prince, Haiti as a member of the Observation Squadron 9.

[1][2] He then joined Aircraft One at Marine Corps Air Station Quantico, Virginia, and remained in that capacity until October 1935, when he flew two Department of Agriculture engineers on an inspection trip over the interior of Puerto Rico and later went to that island to be Officer-in-Charge of the construction of a landing field at Culebra.

[22][23][1][2][24] He led his squadron during the series of exercises aboard aircraft carrier Ranger and participated in the winter fleet operations in the Caribbean based at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba.

Boyden was promoted to the temporary rank of lieutenant colonel on January 26, 1942, and assumed additional duty as Naval attaché for Haiti two months later.

[1][2] Boyden then reported at the Headquarters Marine Corps in Washington, D.C. and was attached to the Division of Aviation under Major general Louis E. Woods.

[1][2] He was subsequently ordered to the Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and completed another one-month course of instruction there.

[1][2] In July 1944, Boyden was then ordered to Espiritu Santo and assumed duty as Chief of Staff, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing (2nd MAW) under Major general James T. Moore.

Landing on Okinawa on May 1, he was indefatigable in carrying on the details of administration under the new Commanding General of the Wing, Francis P. Mulcahy, being especially diligent in arranging for the security of the camp and effecting physical improvements.

The Marine Corps Air Station went into caretaker status on March 1, 1946, and it was released to the War Assets Administration for disposal two months later.

Boyden supervised the decommissioning of the base and received a letter of appreciation from the Mayor of Santa Barbara, Herbert E. Weyler, for the fine relations between the station and the city.

[1][2] He was subsequently ordered back to Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina, where he assumed duty as Facilities Officer under Brigadier General Ivan W. Miller.

[1][2] Following his retirement from the Marine Corps, Boyden remained with his wife at the Cherry Point Air Station, before moved to Asheville, North Carolina, where he died on August 23, 1978, aged 81.