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Gregory John Hayward
West Point, 1964
Be Thou At Peace
Posted by William Hoover on October 2, 2007:
Though Greg and were in different regiments we got to know one another during our time at WP. He and I were roommates during first Beast Detail as Firsties. He was the Platoon Leader and I Plt. Sgt. and we were in the Old North area barracks fronting the Plain. As we settled in following the Firstie trip, we regaled each other and laughed ourselves silly with stories about the trip that are better left unrepeated. Greg was a cheerful and irrevent soul, with a mischievous bent and an almost perpetual smile that spread from ear to ear. He had a laugh that was truly infectious. Although duty bound to harass plebes, he always did it with a wink and a grin. He was the eternal optimist. Once the academic year started we rarely saw one another and it was not until my first VN tour in 65-66 that we met up again in the Big Red One. I had just become BG John Deane's aide and Greg was the junior aide to MG DePuy. As luck would have it, Denny Gillem was aide to the other ADC, BG Hollingsworth. Notwithstanding the generally frenetic pace we all managed to find time to talk and share stories. As the junior aide Greg was always on the go and it's a wonder he slept at all. I know Greg chafed a bit from some of his less desirable assignments, but he always gave it his best. Regardless of the circumstances and even under the toughest conditions, he managed to flash that smile (even if strained at times). I left VN around December 66 and never saw Greg again. I only remember reading the news, from classmates I believe, that he and his family were lost in a private plane crash. Greg was a unique individual and his loss diminishes us all a little bit.
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