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John Tucker "Chick" Hayward (15 November 1908 – 23 May 1999) was an American
naval aviator Naval aviation / Aeronaval is the application of military air power by navies, whether from warships that embark aircraft, or land bases. It often involves '' navalised aircraft'', specifically designed for naval use. Seaborne aviation encompas ...
during
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. He helped develop one of the two
atomic bomb A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission (fission or atomic bomb) or a combination of fission and fusion reactions (thermonuclear weapon), producing a nuclear expl ...
s that was dropped on Japan in the closing days of the war. Later, he was a pioneer in the development of
nuclear propulsion Nuclear propulsion includes a wide variety of propulsion methods that use some form of nuclear reaction as their primary power source. Many aircraft carriers and submarines currently use uranium fueled nuclear reactors that can provide propulsio ...
, nuclear weapons, guidance systems for ground- and air-launched rockets, and underwater
anti-submarine An anti-submarine weapon (ASW) is any one of a number of devices that are intended to act against a submarine and its crew, to destroy (sink) the vessel or reduce its capability as a weapon of war. In its simplest sense, an anti-submarine weapon ...
weapons. A former
batboy In baseball, a bat boy or bat girl is an individual who carries baseball bats to the players on a baseball team. Duties of a batboy may also include handling and preparing players’ equipment and bringing Baseball (ball), baseballs to the umpi ...
for the
New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...
, Hayward dropped out of high school and lied about his age to enlist in the
United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...
at age 16. He was subsequently admitted to the
United States Naval Academy The United States Naval Academy (USNA, Navy, or Annapolis) is a United States Service academies, federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as United States Secre ...
at Annapolis, from which he graduated 51st in his class of 1930. He volunteered for naval aviation. During World War II, he served at the
Naval Aircraft Factory The Naval Aircraft Factory (NAF) was established by the United States Navy in 1918 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was created to help solve aircraft supply issues which the United States Department of the Navy, Navy Department faced upon the ...
in Philadelphia, where he was involved in an effort to improve aircraft instrumentation, notably the compass and altimeter. He attended the
University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (Penn or UPenn) is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. One of nine colonial colleges, it was chartered in 1755 through the efforts of f ...
's
Moore School of Electrical Engineering The Moore School of Electrical Engineering was a school at the University of Pennsylvania. The school was integrated into the University of Pennsylvania School of Engineering and Applied Science. The Moore School came into existence as a resul ...
, and studied nuclear physics. In June 1942, he assumed command of a new patrol bomber squadron, VB-106, equipped with PB4Y-1 Liberators, which he led in a daring raid on
Wake Island Wake Island (), also known as Wake Atoll, is a coral atoll in the Micronesia subregion of the Pacific Ocean. The atoll is composed of three islets – Wake, Wilkes, and Peale Islands – surrounding a lagoon encircled by a coral reef. The neare ...
, in the
Solomon Islands campaign The Solomon Islands campaign was a major military campaign, campaign of the Pacific War during World War II. The campaign began with the Empire of Japan, Japanese seizure of several areas in the British Solomon Islands and Bougainville Island, B ...
, and in the Southwest Pacific Area. Returning to the United States in 1944, he was posted to the Naval Ordnance Test Station at Inyokern, California, where he joined the
Manhattan Project The Manhattan Project was a research and development program undertaken during World War II to produce the first nuclear weapons. It was led by the United States in collaboration with the United Kingdom and Canada. From 1942 to 1946, the ...
, participating in
Project Camel Project Camel encompassed the work performed by the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in support of the Manhattan Project during World War II. These activities included the development of detonators and other equipment, testing of bomb ...
, the development of the non-nuclear components of the
Fat Man "Fat Man" (also known as Mark III) was the design of the nuclear weapon the United States used for seven of the first eight nuclear weapons ever detonated in history. It is also the most powerful design to ever be used in warfare. A Fat Man ...
bomb, and in its drop testing. After the war ended, he travelled to Hiroshima and Nagasaki as part of the team investigating the bomb damage, and during
Operation Crossroads Operation Crossroads was a pair of nuclear weapon tests conducted by the United States at Bikini Atoll in mid-1946. They were the first nuclear weapon tests since Trinity on July 16, 1945, and the first detonations of nuclear devices sinc ...
, he led the effort to photograph the nuclear explosion at the
Bikini Atoll Bikini Atoll ( or ; Marshallese language, Marshallese: , , ), known as Eschscholtz Atoll between the 19th century and 1946, is a coral reef in the Marshall Islands consisting of 23 islands surrounding a central lagoon. The atoll is at the no ...
. In 1949, he assumed command of VC-5, the first naval nuclear bomber squadron. In March 1949, he took off from the carrier in the Atlantic in a
Lockheed P2V Neptune The Lockheed P-2 Neptune (designated P2V by the United States Navy prior to September 1962) is a maritime patrol and anti-submarine warfare (ASW) aircraft. It was developed for the US Navy by Lockheed to replace the Lockheed PV-1 Ventura and P ...
bomber carrying a dummy
Little Boy Little Boy was a type of atomic bomb created by the Manhattan Project during World War II. The name is also often used to describe the specific bomb (L-11) used in the bombing of the Japanese city of Hiroshima by the Boeing B-29 Superfortress ...
pumpkin bomb, flew across the United States to make a simulated attack on a test site in California., and flew back to Patuxent River, where he landed after a total of 23 hours flying. In August 1950, he was at the controls of the first carrier landing and takeoff of an AJ-1 Savage heavy attack bomber. From June 1951 to May 1953, Hayward was head of the Military Applications Division of the Atomic Energy Commission, where he conducted atomic weapons laboratory work at
Los Alamos National Laboratory Los Alamos National Laboratory (often shortened as Los Alamos and LANL) is one of the sixteen research and development Laboratory, laboratories of the United States Department of Energy National Laboratories, United States Department of Energy ...
. In June 1953, he assumed command of the
escort carrier The escort carrier or escort aircraft carrier (U.S. hull classification symbol CVE), also called a "jeep carrier" or "baby flattop" in the United States Navy (USN) or "Woolworth Carrier" by the Royal Navy, was a small and slower type of aircraf ...
, and was involved in the rescue of a baby who was found abandoned in the trash at a U.S. Army depot. In June 1954, he became the first naval aviator to command the
Naval Ordnance Laboratory The Naval Ordnance Laboratory (NOL) was a facility in the White Oak, Maryland, White Oak area of Montgomery County, Maryland. The location is now used as the headquarters of the Food and Drug Administration, U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Or ...
, where he was involved with the development of the Mark 52 naval mine and the Mark 90 nuclear bomb, a nuclear
depth charge A depth charge is an anti-submarine warfare (ASW) weapon designed to destroy submarine A submarine (often shortened to sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. (It differs from a submersible, which has more limited ...
. He was Assistant Chief of Naval Operations for Research and Development, and then Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Development. In 1962 he assumed command of a carrier task force which included the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier . He commanded the Antisubmarine Warfare Force, Pacific Fleet, from 1963 to 1966, and then was president of the
Naval War College The Naval War College (NWC or NAVWARCOL) is the staff college and "Home of Thought" for the United States Navy at Naval Station Newport in Newport, Rhode Island. The NWC educates and develops leaders, supports defining the future Navy and associa ...
from 1966 until 1968.


Early life

Hayward was born in
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
on 15 November 1908 one of eight children of Charles Brian and Rosa Hayward (née Valdetaro) As a youngster, he was a
batboy In baseball, a bat boy or bat girl is an individual who carries baseball bats to the players on a baseball team. Duties of a batboy may also include handling and preparing players’ equipment and bringing Baseball (ball), baseballs to the umpi ...
for the
New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...
. In May 1925, he dropped out of high school at Loyola School and enlisted in the
United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...
by lying about his age, which at the time he believed to be only 15, and forging his father's signature on the papers. He soon acquired the nickname "Chick" from a
bosun A boatswain ( , ), bo's'n, bos'n, or bosun, also known as a deck boss, or a qualified member of the deck department, or the third hand on a fishing vessel, is the most senior rate of the deck department and is responsible for the components of ...
who asked "And how in did a little chick like you get in here amongst all these grown men?" The nickname would remain with him for the rest of his naval career. Hayward did his initial naval training at the
Naval Station Newport Naval Station Newport (NAVSTA Newport) is a United States Navy base located in the city of Newport, Rhode Island, Newport and the town of Middletown, Rhode Island. Naval Station Newport is home to the Naval War College and the Naval Justice Scho ...
at Newport, Rhode Island. He was encouraged by the Chaplain, Father John J. Brady, to try for admission to
United States Naval Academy The United States Naval Academy (USNA, Navy, or Annapolis) is a United States Service academies, federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as United States Secre ...
at Annapolis. Brady arranged for Hayward to be sent to the Naval Academy Preparatory School in Norfolk, Virginia, to study for the entrance exams. During
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, some one-hundred presidential appointments to Annapolis had been set aside for enlisted sailors, but few had applied, and fewer still had passed the entrance exams. Of the 119 sailors who sat the exams in 1926, only 19 passed, one of whom was Hayward. He entered Annapolis in August 1926, and was commissioned as an
ensign Ensign most often refers to: * Ensign (flag), a flag flown on a vessel to indicate nationality * Ensign (rank), a navy (and former army) officer rank Ensign or The Ensign may also refer to: Places * Ensign, Alberta, Alberta, Canada * Ensign, Ka ...
on graduation in June 1930, ranking 51st in his class of 406. After graduation, Hayward volunteered for naval aviation, and learned to fly in a
Consolidated NY The Consolidated Model 2 was a biplane trainer manufactured by the Consolidated Aircraft Corporation and diverted to the United States Navy for a trainer competition in 1925. It beat out 14 other designs, and was ordered into production as the N ...
seaplane at Naval Air Station Hampton Roads. A tour of sea duty on the
cruiser A cruiser is a type of warship. Modern cruisers are generally the largest ships in a fleet after aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships, and can usually perform several operational roles from search-and-destroy to ocean escort to sea ...
followed, after which he was posted to the
Naval Air Station Pensacola Naval Air Station Pensacola or NAS Pensacola (formerly NAS/KNAS until changed circa 1970 to allow Nassau International Airport, now Lynden Pindling International Airport, to have IATA code NAS), "The Cradle of Naval Aviation", is a United Sta ...
to complete his flight training. He received his aviator's wings in July 1932. While there he met a local woman, Leila Marion (Lili) Hyer, and the two were married at St John's Church in
Warrington, Florida Warrington is a census-designated place (CDP) in Escambia County, Florida, United States. Warrington is located between downtown Pensacola and the state line with Alabama; it is away from both. The population was 15,218 at the 2020 census, up ...
, on 15 October 1932. Their marriage would produce five children. Hayward was posted to a scout bombing squadron, VS-1B, flying
Vought SBU Corsair The Vought SBU-1 Corsair was a two-seat, all-metal biplane dive bomber built by Vought Aircraft Company of Dallas, Texas for the US Navy. Its design was based upon the F3U-1 two-seat fighter that was abandoned when the Navy decided not to obta ...
s, on the
aircraft carrier An aircraft carrier is a warship that serves as a seagoing airbase, equipped with a full-length flight deck and hangar facilities for supporting, arming, deploying and recovering carrier-based aircraft, shipborne aircraft. Typically it is the ...
on the West Coast, and was soon promoted to the rank of
lieutenant (junior grade) Lieutenant junior grade is a junior commissioned officer rank used in a number of navies. United States Lieutenant (junior grade), commonly abbreviated as LTJG or, historically, Lt. (j.g.) (as well as variants of both abbreviations), i ...
, but owing to government austerity measures, was not paid as such. In 1935, the squadron was transferred to the . Coming in for a landing, a fuel line on his aircraft broke, spraying him with fuel and damaging his left eye. After he recovered, and his flight status was restored, he was sent to VP-2, which was stationed in the
Panama Canal Zone The Panama Canal Zone (), also known as just the Canal Zone, was a International zone#Concessions, concession of the United States located in the Isthmus of Panama that existed from 1903 to 1979. It consisted of the Panama Canal and an area gene ...
, flying Martin PM patrol aircraft. Following a two-year tour there, he was assigned to the SON Seagull detachment aboard the newly commissioned cruiser , where he was promoted to
lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...
on 30 June 1937. He then repeated the procedure of commissioning the aircraft detachment of a new cruiser on another ship of the same class, the in 1938.


World War II


Pacific Theater

Hayward was posted to the
Naval Aircraft Factory The Naval Aircraft Factory (NAF) was established by the United States Navy in 1918 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was created to help solve aircraft supply issues which the United States Department of the Navy, Navy Department faced upon the ...
in Philadelphia in June 1940, where he continued graduate studies at
Temple University Temple University (Temple or TU) is a public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related research university in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. It was founded in 1884 by the Baptist ministe ...
that he had begun in 1937, and then attended the
University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (Penn or UPenn) is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. One of nine colonial colleges, it was chartered in 1755 through the efforts of f ...
's
Moore School of Electrical Engineering The Moore School of Electrical Engineering was a school at the University of Pennsylvania. The school was integrated into the University of Pennsylvania School of Engineering and Applied Science. The Moore School came into existence as a resul ...
, where he studied nuclear physics. At the Naval Aircraft Factory, he was involved in an effort to improve aircraft instrumentation, notably the compass and altimeter. He was promoted to lieutenant commander in January 1942. In June 1942, Hayward assumed command of a new patrol bomber squadron, VB-106, equipped with PB4Y-1 Liberators. He was promoted to
commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank as well as a job title in many army, armies. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countri ...
in August 1942. VB-106 trained in Hawaii, and flew its first combat mission against
Wake Island Wake Island (), also known as Wake Atoll, is a coral atoll in the Micronesia subregion of the Pacific Ocean. The atoll is composed of three islets – Wake, Wilkes, and Peale Islands – surrounding a lagoon encircled by a coral reef. The neare ...
in October 1943. For this mission, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. His citation read: Hayward was awarded a second Distinguished Flying Cross on the recommendation of
Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...
Arleigh Burke Arleigh Albert Burke (October 19, 1901 – January 1, 1996) was an Admiral (United States), admiral of the United States Navy who distinguished himself during World War II and the Korean War, and who served as Chief of Naval Operations during th ...
for leading his squadron in the
South Pacific Area The South Pacific Area (SOPAC) was a multinational U.S.-led military command active during World War II. It was a part of the U.S. Pacific Ocean Areas under Admiral Chester Nimitz. The delineation and establishment of the Pacific Ocean Areas wa ...
. His citation read: In March 1944, VB-106 was transferred to
Nadzab Nadzab Village is in the Markham Valley, Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea on the Highlands Highway. Administratively, it is located in Gabsongkeg ward of Wampar Rural LLG. The Nadzab Airport is located East of Nadzab Village and was the site ...
in the Southwest Pacific Area, where it came under the command of the
Fifth Air Force The Fifth Air Force (5 AF) is a Numbered Air Force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces (PACAF). It is headquartered at Yokota Air Base, Japan. It is the U.S. Air Force's oldest continuously serving Numbered Air Force. The organ ...
. It thus served in three different theaters in the Pacific. Hayward was awarded a third Distinguished Flying Cross: He was also awarded the
Legion of Merit The Legion of Merit (LOM) is a Awards and decorations of the United States military, military award of the United States Armed Forces that is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievemen ...
with the
valor device Valor, valour, or valorous may mean: * Courage, a similar meaning * Virtue ethics, roughly "courage in defense of a noble cause" Entertainment * Valor Kand, a member of the band Christian Death * ''Valor'' (TV series), an American drama series ...
: Somewhat depleted in both aircraft and aircrews, VB-106 handed over its three PB4Ys with the least hours on the clock to its relief, VB-115, on 27 May 1944, and returned to the United States.


Manhattan Project

Hayward's next posting was to the Naval Ordnance Test Station at Inyokern, California. Initially he was involved with test firing rockets from various aircraft, including the
Grumman F6F Hellcat The Grumman F6F Hellcat is an American Carrier-based aircraft, carrier-based fighter aircraft of World War II. Designed to replace the earlier Grumman F4F Wildcat, F4F Wildcat and to counter the Japanese Mitsubishi A6M Zero, it was the United St ...
and the twin engine
Grumman F7F Tigercat The Grumman F7F Tigercat is a heavy fighter aircraft that served with the United States Navy (USN) and United States Marine Corps (USMC) from late in World War II until 1954. It was the first twin-engine fighter to be deployed by the USN. While ...
. Once his security clearance was complete, he was assigned to the
Manhattan Project The Manhattan Project was a research and development program undertaken during World War II to produce the first nuclear weapons. It was led by the United States in collaboration with the United Kingdom and Canada. From 1942 to 1946, the ...
. He participated in
Project Camel Project Camel encompassed the work performed by the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in support of the Manhattan Project during World War II. These activities included the development of detonators and other equipment, testing of bomb ...
, the development of the non-nuclear components of the
Fat Man "Fat Man" (also known as Mark III) was the design of the nuclear weapon the United States used for seven of the first eight nuclear weapons ever detonated in history. It is also the most powerful design to ever be used in warfare. A Fat Man ...
bomb, and in its drop testing. This involved flying the four engine
Boeing B-29 Superfortress The Boeing B-29 Superfortress is a retired American four-engined propeller-driven heavy bomber, designed by Boeing and flown primarily by the United States during World War II and the Korean War. Named in allusion to its predecessor, the Bo ...
. After the war ended, he travelled to Hiroshima and Nagasaki as part of the Manhattan Project team investigating the bomb damage. He was promoted to captain on 10 December 1945. During
Operation Crossroads Operation Crossroads was a pair of nuclear weapon tests conducted by the United States at Bikini Atoll in mid-1946. They were the first nuclear weapon tests since Trinity on July 16, 1945, and the first detonations of nuclear devices sinc ...
, he led the effort to photograph the nuclear explosion at the
Bikini Atoll Bikini Atoll ( or ; Marshallese language, Marshallese: , , ), known as Eschscholtz Atoll between the 19th century and 1946, is a coral reef in the Marshall Islands consisting of 23 islands surrounding a central lagoon. The atoll is at the no ...
.


Post war


Nuclear weapons

After a series of clashes with his superior at Inyokern, Captain James B. Sykes, Hayward left to become the Director for Plans and Operations for Armed Forces Special Weapons Project,
Sandia National Laboratories Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), also known as Sandia, is one of three research and development laboratories of the United States Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). Headquartered in Kirtland Air Force B ...
on 1 August 1947. On 1 January 1948, he was reduced in rank to commander again. The Air Force offered a commission as a brigadier general, and
Convair Convair, previously Consolidated Vultee Aircraft Corporation, was an American aircraft-manufacturing company that later expanded into rockets and spacecraft. The company was formed in 1943 by the merger of Consolidated Aircraft and Vultee ...
offered a job working on the
SM-65 Atlas The SM-65 Atlas was the first operational intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) developed by the United States and the first member of the Atlas rocket family. It was built for the U.S. Air Force by the Convair Division of General ...
missile, but Hayward elected to stay in the navy. He participated in the
Operation Sandstone Operation Sandstone was a series of nuclear weapon tests in 1948. It was the third series of American tests, following Trinity in 1945 and Crossroads in 1946, and preceding Ranger. Like the Crossroads tests, the Sandstone tests were carried o ...
nuclear tests in the Pacific in April 1948. After World War II, the US Navy sought to acquire a nuclear strike capability, and the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Air, Rear Admiral Arthur W. Radford wanted them to operate from aircraft carriers. There were practical problems with this. Nuclear weapons at that time were bulky and required a large aircraft to carry them. After Operation Crossroads, Radford asked Hayward if the Navy had such an aircraft, and Hayward suggested modifying the
Lockheed P2V Neptune The Lockheed P-2 Neptune (designated P2V by the United States Navy prior to September 1962) is a maritime patrol and anti-submarine warfare (ASW) aircraft. It was developed for the US Navy by Lockheed to replace the Lockheed PV-1 Ventura and P ...
for carrier operations using
jet-assisted takeoff JATO (acronym for jet-assisted take-off) is a type of assisted take-off for helping overloaded aircraft into the air by providing additional thrust in the form of small rockets. The term ''JATO'' is used interchangeably with the (more specific ...
(JATO) rocket boosters. It was an interim solution, as it a could not carry a Fat Man, but only the smaller
Little Boy Little Boy was a type of atomic bomb created by the Manhattan Project during World War II. The name is also often used to describe the specific bomb (L-11) used in the bombing of the Japanese city of Hiroshima by the Boeing B-29 Superfortress ...
bomb; it could only be operated by the large ''Midway'' class aircraft carriers, which still had to be modified for the task; and initially had no
tailhook A tailhook, arresting hook, or arrester hook is a device attached to the empennage (rear) of some military fixed-wing aircraft. The hook is used to achieve rapid deceleration during routine landings aboard aircraft carrier flight decks at sea, ...
, so it was unable to land on a carrier, and a mission would have to end with it either landing at a land base or ditching at sea. On 28 April 1948, two P2Vs were launched from a carrier, the , for the first time. The intention was that each of the three ''Midway''-class carriers would have a nuclear attack squadron. The first of these, Composite (Heavy Attack) Squadron 5 (VC-5) was formed at
Moffett Field Moffett Federal Airfield , also known as Moffett Field, is a joint civil-military airport located in an unincorporated part of Santa Clara County, California, United States, between northern Mountain View and northern Sunnyvale. On November ...
, California, on 9 September 1948, with Commander Frederick L. "Dick" Ashworth, who had been weaponeer on the Nagasaki raid, as its acting commander. However, Rear Admiral
Deak Parsons William Sterling Parsons (26 November 1901 – 5 December 1953) was an American naval officer who worked as an ordnance expert on the Manhattan Project during World War II. He is best known for being the weaponeer on the ''Enola Gay'', th ...
felt that Ashworth did not have sufficient flight time for the role, so it was decided that Hayward would command VC-5. He assumed command on 3 January 1949, with Ashworth as his executive officer. Hayward intended that Ashworth would take command of the next squadron, VC-6, when it was formed. Hayward was promoted to captain again on 19 February 1949. On 7 March, he took off ''Coral Sea'' in the Atlantic in a P2V carrying a dummy Little Boy pumpkin bomb, and flew across the United States to make a simulated attack on the Salton Sea test site near
El Centro, California El Centro ( Spanish for "The Center") is a city and county seat of Imperial County, California, United States. El Centro is the most populous city in the Imperial Valley, the east anchor of the Southern California Border Region, and the core ...
. He then flew to Patuxent River, where he landed after a total of 23 hours flying. Hayward had tailhooks fitted to a pair of P2Vs, and made practice landings on a carrier deck painted on the ground at NAS Patuxent River, Maryland, He made some touch and go passes at the , but a carrier landing was considered too dangerous for regular crews to attempt. The P2Vs would be first augmented, and then replaced, by the more capable
North American AJ Savage The North American AJ Savage (later A-2 Savage) is an American carrier-based aircraft, carrier-based medium bomber built for the United States Navy by North American Aviation. The aircraft was designed shortly after World War II to carry atomic ...
as they became available. These could take off and land on a carrier, carrying a Fat Man. On 21 August 1950, Hayward was at the controls of the first carrier landing and takeoff of an AJ-1 Savage heavy attack bomber, on the ''Coral Sea'' with the commander of Naval Air Forces Atlantic Fleet (COMAIRLANT), Vice Admiral Felix Stump, in the back seat. However, by mid-December VC-5 still only had six AJ-1s. From June 1951 to May 1953, Hayward was head of the Military Applications Division of the Atomic Energy Commission, where he conducted atomic weapons laboratory work at
Los Alamos National Laboratory Los Alamos National Laboratory (often shortened as Los Alamos and LANL) is one of the sixteen research and development Laboratory, laboratories of the United States Department of Energy National Laboratories, United States Department of Energy ...
. He also worked on the foundation of the
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) is a Federally funded research and development centers, federally funded research and development center in Livermore, California, United States. Originally established in 1952, the laboratory now i ...
program in 1952 in close collaboration with
Edward Teller Edward Teller (; January 15, 1908 – September 9, 2003) was a Hungarian and American Theoretical physics, theoretical physicist and chemical engineer who is known colloquially as "the father of the hydrogen bomb" and one of the creators of ...
. The culmination of this was working on the
Ivy Mike Ivy Mike was the code name, codename given to the first full-scale test of a Thermonuclear weapon, thermonuclear device, in which a significant fraction of the explosive nuclear weapon yield, yield comes from nuclear fusion. Ivy Mike was detona ...
nuclear test.


''Point Cruz''

In June 1953, Hayward took command of the
escort carrier The escort carrier or escort aircraft carrier (U.S. hull classification symbol CVE), also called a "jeep carrier" or "baby flattop" in the United States Navy (USN) or "Woolworth Carrier" by the Royal Navy, was a small and slower type of aircraf ...
. He confessed to the crew that he did not know what he was doing, and urged any crewman who felt he was doing something wrong to tell him so at once. At the end of the
Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...
, the carrier was deployed at Inchon, where a baby was found abandoned in the trash at a U.S. Army depot. The baby was brought to an orphanage, and Hayward sent ''Point Cruzs chaplain in response to a request for assistance. The nun running the orphanage felt the blue-eyed baby would not be safe if he remained in Korea. Hayward is said to have told the chaplain: "You are not to return to this vessel until you have procured that baby." Hayward is credited with putting his naval career "on the line" by bringing the baby on the ship, which was against regulations, and he subsequently received orders to get the baby off the ship. However, having a baby on board boosted sailors' morale, and Hayward later said that a leader must "know when to intelligently disregard regulations." A visa was obtained by intervention of
Richard Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 until Resignation of Richard Nixon, his resignation in 1974. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican ...
's staffers, and a passport was secured by winning a poker game against the South Korean who issued passports. The baby, adopted by Navy surgeon Hugh Keenan, who was also in port at Inchon, was later named Daniel, and was transferred to a civilian ship in Japan. Daniel Keenan was raised in Seattle and began attending reunions of the crew of the ''Point Cruz'' in 1993. The story of Daniel Keenan was made into a television movie, ''A Thousand Men and a Baby'', which aired on
CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...
in 1997.


Later career

Hayward assumed command of the
Naval Ordnance Laboratory The Naval Ordnance Laboratory (NOL) was a facility in the White Oak, Maryland, White Oak area of Montgomery County, Maryland. The location is now used as the headquarters of the Food and Drug Administration, U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Or ...
at
White Oak, Maryland White Oak is a census-designated place and unincorporated area in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. It had a population of 16,347 in 2020. White Oak was known for its Naval Ordnance Laboratory, which was closed in 1994. The headquart ...
, in June 1954. He was the first naval aviator to do so, all the previous commanders having been naval ordnance officers. Under his guidance, the Naval Ordnance Laboratory developed the Mark 52 naval mine, an air-delivered weapon with acoustic, magnetic and pressure sensors. Hayward encountered some resistance with this project, as mine warfare was a neglected field in the Navy. The Naval Ordnance Laboratory also developed the Mark 90 nuclear bomb, a nuclear
depth charge A depth charge is an anti-submarine warfare (ASW) weapon designed to destroy submarine A submarine (often shortened to sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. (It differs from a submersible, which has more limited ...
, which was tested during Operation Wigwam in May 1955. From a naval career point of view, Hayward's most notable drawback was his lack of time in command of a ship at sea. Admiral Arleigh Burke, now Chief of naval Operations, arranged for Hayward to be given command of the aircraft carrier ''Franklin D. Roosevelt'' in February 1956. This would normally be the climax of naval aviator's career, but that year he was selected for promotion to rear admiral. His record of 13,200 flight hours was the highest ever achieved by a
flag officer A flag officer is a commissioned officer in a nation's armed forces senior enough to be entitled to fly a flag to mark the position from which that officer exercises command. Different countries use the term "flag officer" in different ways: * ...
. On 7 January 1957, he was assigned to the office of the Assistant Chief of Naval Operations for Plans and Operations. In October, he became Assistant Chief of Naval Operations for Research and Development. The very public failure of
Project Vanguard Project Vanguard was a program managed by the United States Navy Naval Research Laboratory (NRL), which intended to launch the first Satellite, artificial satellite into low Earth orbit using a Vanguard (rocket), Vanguard rocket as the launch ...
resulted in Hayward being called to appear before a Congressional Committee, where he was grilled by its chairman, Senator
Lyndon B. Johnson Lyndon Baines Johnson (; August 27, 1908January 22, 1973), also known as LBJ, was the 36th president of the United States, serving from 1963 to 1969. He became president after the assassination of John F. Kennedy, under whom he had served a ...
. The post was upgraded to Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Development in 1959, and he was promoted to vice admiral. He pushed the development of a number of new weapons systems, including the
Lockheed P-3 Orion The Lockheed P-3 Orion is a four-engined, turboprop Anti-submarine warfare, anti-submarine and maritime patrol aircraft, maritime surveillance aircraft developed for the United States Navy and introduced in the 1960s. It is based on the Lockheed ...
and the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier . Between 1959 and 1961, Defense expenditure on research and development grew from $525 million (roughly equivalent to $ in 20) to $4 billion (roughly equivalent to $ in 20). In 1962, President
John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), also known as JFK, was the 35th president of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963. He was the first Roman Catholic and youngest person elected p ...
offered Hayward four stars and the job of
Deputy Director of the Central Intelligence Agency The deputy director of the Central Intelligence Agency (DD/CIA) is a statutory office () and the second-highest official of the Central Intelligence Agency. The DD/CIA assists the director of the Central Intelligence Agency (D/CIA) and is author ...
. Hayward turned it down, accepting a demotion to rear admiral on 9 March 1962 to take command of Carrier Division 2, which included the nuclear-powered ''Enterprise'', , and . In October 1962, his ships participated in the
Cuban Missile Crisis The Cuban Missile Crisis, also known as the October Crisis () in Cuba, or the Caribbean Crisis (), was a 13-day confrontation between the governments of the United States and the Soviet Union, when American deployments of Nuclear weapons d ...
. In June 1963, he was restored to the rank of vice admiral, which was backdated to 25 April 1959, the day he had first been promoted. He commanded the Antisubmarine Warfare Force, Pacific Fleet, from 13 June 1963 to 12 January 1966, for which he was awarded the
Navy Distinguished Service Medal The Navy Distinguished Service Medal is a military decoration of the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps which was first created in 1919 and is presented to Sailors and Marines to recognize distinguished and exceptionally meritorio ...
for his "leadership, judgment and foresight in research and development associated with antisubmarine warfare and the training of Antisubmarine Warfare Groups during his tenure of command." Hayward was president of the
Naval War College The Naval War College (NWC or NAVWARCOL) is the staff college and "Home of Thought" for the United States Navy at Naval Station Newport in Newport, Rhode Island. The NWC educates and develops leaders, supports defining the future Navy and associa ...
in
Newport, Rhode Island Newport is a seaside city on Aquidneck Island in Rhode Island, United States. It is located in Narragansett Bay, approximately southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, Providence, south of Fall River, Massachusetts, south of Boston, and nort ...
, from 1966 until 1968. He strove to transform the Naval War College into the Navy's premier postgraduate school, one from which graduation would fit officers for, and mark them out as future flag officers. Heading a captain's selection board in May 1967, he disapproved of two officers with spotless records. "You mean they never argued, never had a difference of opinion?" he remarked. "What kind of man is that?" Hayward was awarded a second Navy Distinguished Service Medal for his service as president of Naval War College. He retired in 1968, but returned to serve to duty as a rear admiral from November 1970 to December 1971 as commander,
14th Naval District United States Naval Districts is a system created by the United States Navy to organize military facilities, numbered sequentially by geographic region, for the operational and administrative control of naval bases and shore commands in the Unit ...
, Commander Fleet Air Hawaii and Commander, Naval Base Pearl Harbor. His responsibilities included "the planning, training and execution of highly successful recoveries of
Apollo Apollo is one of the Twelve Olympians, Olympian deities in Ancient Greek religion, ancient Greek and Ancient Roman religion, Roman religion and Greek mythology, Greek and Roman mythology. Apollo has been recognized as a god of archery, mu ...
spacecraft in the Mid-Pacific", for which he was awarded a third
Legion of Merit The Legion of Merit (LOM) is a Awards and decorations of the United States military, military award of the United States Armed Forces that is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievemen ...
.


Later life

After retiring from the Navy, Hayward worked for
General Dynamics General Dynamics Corporation (GD) is an American publicly traded aerospace and defense corporation headquartered in Reston, Virginia. As of 2020, it was the fifth largest defense contractor in the world by arms sales and fifth largest in the Unit ...
as a vice president for international programs until 1973, and then as a consultant until 1979. He then worked with the
Draper Laboratory Draper Laboratory is an American non-profit research and development organization, headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts; its official name is The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc. The laboratory specializes in the design, development, an ...
and the
Hertz Foundation The Fannie and John Hertz Foundation is an American non-profit organization that awards fellowships to Ph.D. students in the applied physical, biological and engineering sciences. The fellowship begins with up to $250,000 of financial support ...
. He became an
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is a professional society for the field of aerospace engineering Aerospace engineering is the primary field of engineering concerned with the development of aircraft and spacecra ...
Fellow in 1998, and was inducted into the
Naval Aviation Hall of Honor The United States Naval Aviation Hall of Honor, located at the National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, Florida, recognizes individuals "who by their actions or achievements made outstanding contributions to Naval Aviation." Since its incepti ...
in 2004. Hayward joined a team of scientists that was sent to investigate the origins of the
Shroud of Turin The Shroud of Turin (), also known as the Holy Shroud (), is a length of linen cloth that bears a faint image of the front and back of a naked man. Because details of the image are consistent with depiction of Jesus, traditional depictions o ...
in
Vatican City Vatican City, officially the Vatican City State (; ), is a Landlocked country, landlocked sovereign state and city-state; it is enclaved within Rome, the capital city of Italy and Bishop of Rome, seat of the Catholic Church. It became inde ...
. While speaking at the Naval War College in 1982, Hayward said that the evidence collected during the investigation convinced him that the shroud was in fact used to bury
Jesus Christ Jesus (AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Chris ...
. However, he spoke only for himself and not the entire team. According to the rest of the team, the image on the shroud was rather formed by a combination of heat and light. Hayward decided that further research into the age of the shroud via
Carbon-14 dating Radiocarbon dating (also referred to as carbon dating or carbon-14 dating) is a method for Chronological dating, determining the age of an object containing organic material by using the properties of carbon-14, radiocarbon, a radioactive Isotop ...
was needed but Church authorities would not permit this to happen at the time. Hayward died of cancer on 23 May 1999 in Atlantic Beach, Florida, and was buried in
Arlington National Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery is the largest cemetery in the United States National Cemetery System, one of two maintained by the United States Army. More than 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington County, Virginia. ...
. His papers are in the
Naval History & Heritage Command The Naval History and Heritage Command, formerly the Naval Historical Center, is an Echelon II command responsible for the preservation, analysis, and dissemination of U.S. naval history and heritage located at the historic Washington Navy Yard ...
at the
Washington Navy Yard The Washington Navy Yard (WNY) is a ceremonial and administrative center for the United States Navy, located in the federal national capital city of Washington, D.C. (federal District of Columbia). It is the oldest shore establishment / base of ...
.


Notes


References

*


External links


Oral History by Vice Admiral John T. Hayward
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hayward, John T. 1908 births 1999 deaths Manhattan Project people Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United States) Recipients of the Navy Distinguished Service Medal Recipients of the Legion of Merit Recipients of the Silver Star United States Navy officers United States Navy pilots of World War II Recipients of the Air Medal Presidents of the Naval War College Burials at Arlington National Cemetery United States Navy personnel of World War II Nuclear weapons of the United States United States Naval Academy alumni University of Pennsylvania School of Engineering and Applied Science alumni Naval War College faculty 20th-century American academics