John F Hays, Sr. Tribute Page

John F Hays, Sr. Tribute Page

1921 - 2002

Member-of-the-Month

We have another Navy, Pre-WW II, Member-of-the-Month. John F. Hays was born November 15, 1921, in East St. Louis Missouri, and shortly afterward the family moved to Universtiy City, MO. After the eighth grade his father sent him to a private school and he graduated in June, 1940. An array of odd jobs didn't satisfyhis youthful exuberance so he joined the Naval Reserve in February of 1941, and transferred to active duty April, 1941. He took his boot in San Diego and upon graduation was sent to N.A.S. Seattle for Aviation Metalsmith School. When he completed the course he took a "hop" on the U.S.S. Lexington to Ford Island, Hawaii, where he reported on board his pernament duty station, the U.S.S. Enterprise. He was assigned to VS-6 and was a "Deck-Ape" spotting the planes where needed.

With war eminent, Wake Island was being fortified and the Enterprise delivered Marine Fighter Squadron VMF-211 commanded by Major Putnam on December 1st or 2nd, depending on which side of the International Date Line you were on. (History has a record of the Titanic effort, gallantry and ill-fated demise that squadron). When the Enterprise returned to Hawaiian waters their planes took off to land at Ford Island (this was normal carrier docking procedure) not knowing the Pearl Harbor attack was underway. This caused the firstnaval pilot casualty of the war, Ensign Manuel Gonzales downed by Friendly????Fire, whose plane John had handled. December 8th the "Big E" nosed into the channel(that was a lush tropical setting just days before) to a scene of utter devastation. She armed and went to war. Less than two months after the attack John was with her when they hit the Gilberts and Marshalls, then Wake Island which was enjoyable retribution for all, They were at the Battle of Midway, the Occupation of Guadalcanal, the Battle of Stewart Islands, the Battle of the Solomon Islands and the Battle of Santa Cruz when the ship's and John's luck ran shallow. She took a heavy bomb hit that wiped out the aft starboard gun crew and riddled John with shrapnel. His Purple Heart Citation is personally signed by Admiral Nimitz. The damage caused by the bombing necessitated the "Big E" to return to the Bremerton Navy Yard for overhaul and refurbishing, and while there (talk about luck running shallow) John married his first wife.

While the ship was laid up John was transferred to the Astroia N.A.S. in Oregon, awaiting the commissioning ot the U.S.S. Shipley Bay of which he is a plank holder. He did a "TDY" to the U.S.S. Casablanca to become an aviation "Gas King" and back to the Shipley for two years ap leading P.O. of the gas crew. He was in the Battle of the Philippine Sea, picked up a couple of more battle stars, and a few months later the war ended. He returned to San Diego and then was sent to Seattle to be discharged on September 19, 1945.

Shortly afterward John returned to St. Louis, along with wife and son, to take care of his ailing father and in May, 1946, his daughter was born. He went to a V.A. for treatment and a battery of physical and mental evaluations. Two things were determined....he had on-going problems from his wounds that resulted with them helping John acquire a college grant, and he had an aptitude for chemistry. They assisted him in getting a job in a chemical laboratory where he worked until his father died. John then returned to the West Coast and entered the Seattle University.

Upon obtaining his degree he went to work for the Shore Division of National Lead, two years later to the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, then Boeing Aircraft, and then became a chemist for Bardahl in their Industrial Division. He had a couple of more jobs, a divorce and then a marriage to Esther. He was offered, and accepted, a job by the U.S. Government in Quality Assurance. This resulted in an additional three years of schooling, eventually leading him to Hugh Aircraft. He was in Contracts Administration invovling even more schooling (talk about being a professional scholar) as well as being a montitor for C.S.C.S. Contracts. In 1985 Esther passed away and three years later John retired.

John initially joined the V.F.W. while on active duty, transferred to Missouri, then Washington and to us in late 1960. He was Blood Bank Chairman for a while, and is a constant visitor to the canteen. His medals include the Purple Heart, Good Conduct, American Defense with Fleet Clasp, American Campaign, Asiatic Pacific Campaign with 1 Silver and 4 Bronze Battle stars, Presidential Unit Citation signed personally by Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox, Philippine Liberation with 1 Battle Star and the Philippine Presidential Unit Citation. There's one heck of a lot of salt in this six year career, so the next time you see him grinning at the bar go shake his hand....it's people like him that the V.F.W is all about.

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