Master Sergeant Hayes was a member of Company A, 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division. He was listed as Missing in Action while fighting the enemy in North Korea on 12 October 1951. He was presumed dead on 10 February 1954.

For his leadership and valor, Master Sergeant Hayes was awarded the Silver Star Medal, the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Presidential Unit Citation and the Republic of Korea War Service Medal.