Remembering the 21st CNO

A Notable Passing: ADM Thomas B. Hayward, USN (Ret.) – 21st CNO

By Rear Adm. Samuel J. Cox, USN (Ret. Director, Naval History and Heritage Command

It is with deep regret to report the passing of Adm. Thomas Bibb Hayward, USN (Ret.) on March 3 at age 97. Born on May 3, 1924, Tom Hayward attended Glendale Junior College and Occidental College in Los Angeles. He enlisted in the U.S. Naval Reserve on May 17, 1943, and reported for active duty on October 26, 1943 in the V5 Aviation Cadet program. His goal was to become a fighter pilot in the Pacific, but part way through training, he applied and received an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy. He reported to the USNA on June 14, 1944, with the class of 1948. His class “Lucky Bag” noted Midshipman Hayward’s “abundant sense of humor” while his classmate William Crowe (future Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff) later stated, “even then he possessed the marks of an exceptional individual.” With his class being accelerated due to the war, Hayward graduated and earned his commission on June 6, 1947.

Following graduation, Ensign Hayward reported to the aircraft carrier Antietam (CV 36,) during her three-year deployment to the Far East, operating out of Tsingtao, China as the Chinese Communists continued their advances during the Chinese Civil War. While on Antietam, Hayward served “R Division” Officer, Engineering Officer of the Watch and Officer of the Deck.

Selected for aviation training, Hayward detached from the carrier in November 1948 and proceeded to Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola. In November 1949, he continued aviation training at NAS Corpus Christi and then Naval Auxiliary Air Station (NAAS) Cabaniss Field, Corpus Christi. In June 1950, Lieutenant (junior grade) Hayward returned to Pensacola for continued training. Designated a Naval Aviator on July 26, 1950, Hayward then proceeded to NAAS Whiting Field, Milton, FL for jet training. With training accelerated due to the outbreak of the Korean War, he received orders to Commander Air Force Pacific Fleet in September 1950 before reporting to Fleet Aircraft Service Squadron SEVEN (FASRON 7) at NAS San Diego (now NAS North Island) in pool status awaiting squadron assignment.

In December 1950, Hayward reported to Fighter Squadron FIVE ONE (VF-51) “Screaming Eagles” flying the F9F-2 Panther straight-wing jet fighter. VF-51 embarked on Essex (CV 9) for her first Korean War deployment, arriving in the combat zone in August 1951. Flying interdiction missions into North Korea, VF-51 lost four pilots to enemy ground fire. Hayward was forced to make

a wheels-up crash landing in South Korea due to flak damage. Of note, Hayward’s squadron mate was future first man-on-the moon Neil Armstrong, and they became life-long friends. In addition, journalist James Michener was allowed to observe VF-51 and Air Group FIVE (CVG-5) for an extended period, which became the basis for Michener’s best-selling book and movie, The Bridges at Toko-ri. Essex returned to the West Coast in March 1952. VF51 then upgraded to the F9F-5 Panther and cross-decked to Valley Forge (CVA 45) which then deployed for the fourth time to Korea in November 1952, returning home just before the Korean War Armistice came into effect. During Hayward’s two Korean War deployments, he flew 146 combat missions, and was awarded a Distinguished Flying Cross, ten Air Medals and two Navy Commendation Medals with Combat “V.” Promoted to lieutenant in July 1953, Hayward earned selection for Test Pilot Thomas B. Hayward: 21st School and reported to Naval Air Test CenChief of Naval Operations ter (NATC), Patuxent River, MD in January 1954. After six months in training, Lieutenant Hayward assumed duty as a test pilot which — in the 1950’s — was statistically more dangerous than combat. In July 1956, he reported to the NROTC unit at the University of Southern California for the Aviation Safety Officer Course. In October 1956, Hayward received orders was assigned as Safety Officer and F8U Training Officer to All-Weather Fighter Squadron THREE (VF(AW)-3,) which was responsible for training fleet squadrons transitioning to new types of aircraft, including the F9F-6 Cougar, F-7U Cutlass, FJ Fury, F3H Demon, F4D Skyray, A4D Skyhawk, and F8U Crusader. Some of these aircraft, such as the Cutlass and Demon, had the highest operational loss rate of any Navy aircraft since World War II. Promoted to lieutenant commander in September 1957, Hayward received assignment in April 1958 as the Safety Officer for Fighter Squadron ONE TWO FOUR (VF124), the Fleet Replacement Squadron at NAS Moffett Field, flying the F8U-1 Crusader and F9F-8 Cougar. He detached three months later to attend the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island. Upon graduating in June 1959, he returned to VF-124. In December 1959, Hayward assumed duty as Executive Officer in VF-211 “Flying Checkmates,” flying the F8U-1 and embarking on Lexington (CVA 16) for a Western Pacific deployment including reaction to a crisis in Laos. In July 1961, Hayward reported

to the Pentagon as Administrative Assistant to Secretary of the Navy John B. Connally, and then Fred Korth.

Promoted to commander in June 1962, he joined VF-174 as a replacement pilot. In December 1963, Commander Hayward assumed duty as Executive Officer of VF-103, initially flying the F-8C (formerly F8U-2) Crusader. VF-103 embarked on Forrestal for a Mediterranean deployment in 1964-65, unusual in that VF-103 flew both the F-8E and the new F-4B Phantom II. Hayward became Commanding Officer mid-deployment. In June 1965, Hayward assumed command of Carrier Air Group TEN (CVG-10,) deploying to the Mediterranean embarked on Shangri-La (CVA 38.) All CVG’s were redesignated as Carrier Air Wings (CVW,) with some designated as Attack Carrier Air Wings. So redesignated, CVW-10 then cross-decked to Intrepid (CVS 11.) Although designated as an Anti-Submarine Carrier, Intrepid was reconfigured as an “Auxiliary Attack Carrier” to bolster the attack carrier force, which was being overstretched by Vietnam War commitments. As part of the transition, CVW-10 was reconfigured to an “all attack” wing of A-4 Skyhawks and A-1 Skyraiders.

Intrepid and CVW-10 then deployed to Vietnam, initially operating at “Dixie Station” for strikes against Viet Cong and North Vietnamese troops in South Vietnam, before shifting to “Yankee Station” in the Gulf of Tonkin where Hayward and his pilots flew into the densest air defense network in the world over Hanoi and Haiphong augmented by North Vietnamese MiG-17 and MiG-21 fighters. As the Wing Commander, Hayward flew 36 combat missions and was awarded a Legion of Merit with Combat “V” and three Air Medals.

In June 1966, Hayward detached from CVW-10 to attend the National War College, and shortly thereafter earned his fourth stripe. While attending the National War College, he concurrently earned a Master of Science degree in International Relations from George Washington University. Upon graduation from the War College, Captain Hayward assumed command of stores ship Graffias (AF 29) in July 1967 for a Western Pacific/Vietnam deployment. In June 1968, Hayward was assigned as the Executive Assistant and Naval Aide to the Under Secretary of the Navy, initially Charles F. Baird and then John W. Warner.

In October 1969, Hayward assumed command of attack carrier America (CVA 66.) In November 1969, America conducted launch and recovery trials with a CIA U-2R spy-plane. America then deployed to the Western Pacific for Vietnam operations, including the first combat flights by the new A-7E Corsair II light attack bomber. After four line periods in the Gulf of Tonkin, America transited to the Sea of Japan for a series of exercises before returning to Vietnam for a fifth line period, for a total of 100 days on station and 2,626 combat sorties without a loss, and only one flight deck crash, with no fatalities. America also hosted a visit by the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos. For this tour Hayward earned a Legion of Merit.

On November 2, 1970, Hayward was designated a rear admiral for duty in a billet commensurate with that rank. The same month he assumed command of the Hawaiian Sea Frontier and concurrently as Commandant FOURTEENTH Naval District, with additional duty as Commander Naval Base Pearl Harbor and Commander Fleet Air Hawaii. Five months following his official promotion to rear admiral on July 1, 1971, Rear Admiral Hayward reported to the Office of the Secretary of the Navy as Director, Office of Program Appraisal. Among other duties, he was involved in negotiations with the Soviet Union leading to the Incidents at Sea Agreement, intended to lessen the chance of inadvertent conflict between the U.S. and Soviet Union at sea. On April 26, 1973, he was designated a vice admiral for duty in a billet commensurate with that rank, and became Director of Navy Program Planning in the Officer of the Chief of Naval Operations. In June 1975, Vice Admiral Hayward assumed command of U.S. SEVENTH Fleet, embarked in Oklahoma City (CG 5) in the immediate aftermath of the tumultuous fall of South Vietnam and Cambodia.

On August 12, 1976, he was designated a full admiral, and assumed duty as Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet, with additional duty as the naval component commander for U.S. Pacific Command. In July 1978, Admiral Hayward assumed duty as the 21st Chief of Naval Operations.

CNO Hayward was dealt a tough hand in 1978. With the nation still in a “malaise” after the fall of Vietnam and Cambodia, the OPEC oil embargo, and “stagflation,” all the indicators for the Navy - recruiting, retention, funding, readiness, shipbuilding, drug use, pay and benefits, morale, pride and professionalism – all were going in the wrong direction. It would get even worse with the continued rapid build up of the Soviet Navy, the Iranian Revolution, and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Navy retention rates had fallen from 65% to 45% when Admiral Hayward assumed the watch. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of

CNO Hayward conversing with Cdr. Bob Wittenburg,. CO VA-115 onboard USS Midway ca. 1981.

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A Notable Passing: CNO Hayward

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Staff said the military, including the Navy, was becoming a “hollow force.” In a highly publicized event, the oiler Canisteo could not get underway because she lacked enough crew. Even before the 1979 strategic document “The Future of U.S. Seapower” or the subsequent enunciation of the “Carter Doctrine,” Hayward beefed up U.S. Navy presence in the Indian Ocean/ Arabian Gulf, but it came at a cost. The new CNO assessed the Navy as “undermanned and overworked.” He testified that the Navy was trying to meet a “three ocean commitment, with a one and a half ocean force.”

And yet, Hayward turned it around. His “Pride in the Navy” campaign made significant improvement in morale. His “Not in my Navy” campaign turned around the growth in illegal drug use, eventually leading to “zero tolerance.” His arguments before Congress eventually resonated, and he was significantly instrumental in obtaining the two proportionately largest military pay raises, one in the last year of the Carter Administration and another in the first year of the Reagan Administration. He obtained the funding to kickstart key Navy surface, aviation and submarine programs that had been treading water. Readiness began a climb out of the doldrums. When the Reagan Administration came in, Admiral Hayward was all-in on the development of the new, more proactive, Maritime Strategy vis a vis the Soviets, as well as Secretary John F. Lehman’s 600-ship goal. The Navy was on a vastly better trajectory when Admiral Hayward left office than when he came in. His end of career award stated he was “singularly effective in facilitating just pay and compensation for military personnel and in initiating critical building programs to enhance essential naval warfare capabilities.” That’s an understatement. The Navy and nation owe him an immense debt of gratitude.

At the rank of captain, Hayward commanded the aircraft carrier America (CV 66)

Admiral Hayward retired on 1 July 1982.

Following retirement, Admiral Hayward devoted himself to helping at-risk students as Chairman of Ethics Resource Center of America. He co-founded the Voyager Expanded Learning Company in 1994 that served well over one million disadvantaged public school children. He helped found several other companies that focus on reading and math solutions for K-12, masters and doctorates in education, both domestic and international distance learning for college and higher education. He served on the Board of Advisors of the Code of Support Foundation, a non-profit military services organization. He also helped establish several navy related museums, including the USS Missouri Foundation, and the Military Aviation Museum in Virginia Beach. In 2007, the U.S. Naval Academy Foundation named him a distinguished graduate.

Rest in Peace Admiral Hayward

Author Note: In May 1980, CNO Hayward handed Midshipman Sam Cox his commission. I had the privilege to speak with him when he called me a couple times over the last few years regarding some of my previous passing notes. I am grateful I had the opportunity to thank him for his kind words, as well as thank him for his extraordinary service to our Navy and Nation.

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