Moody Echol Hayes

West Point, 1955

Be Thou At Peace

Posted by Michael Handy CPT (USAR) on April 5, 2021:

I served with then LTC Hayes at the 2/35th Artillery Battalion in Vietnam in 70-71. I was an Air Defense Artillery 1LT promoted to Captain and assigned to the service company. I was the property book officer and ammunition officer. I was 24 years old. My memories are the daily battalion meeting when I was not on the road. I gave the daily ammunition briefing. I remember one night I reported an oversupply of rounds at one of the batteries experiencing heavy firing. The danger was the rounds were too numerous for the bunkers. I explained the heavy firing and I wanted to insure the battery had enough artillery rounds and proper fuses. The look on LTC Hayes's face was that I had not miscalculated thus creating a problem. He likely thought I was an adequate officer, not outstanding. I was scheduled to take command of the service company, but we were given orders to draw down. As I look back some 50 years now, I see how young we were with such heavy responsibility. LTC Hayes was 37. Today there are 37 year old Captains! I can't say I relished my time with LTC Hayes. He was all business, as he needed to be. I learned a lot about leadership and mission which has served me well. I returned to civilian life in 1972, got an MBA at USC through the GI bill and have had a wornderful career as a CPA and investment advisor. It is thorugh the service of career officers and reserve officers such as myself and many others that our country enjoys the freedom it does. I would enjoy hearing from the Hayes family.

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