John Hulsey Hays
Captain, U.S. Army

On 30 May 1968, Captain John Hulsey Hays was Commanding Officer of Troop B, 1st Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, in South Vietnam. On that day his Troop B was on a reconnaissance in force mission in conjunction with an Army, Republic of Vietnam regiment. As his troops approached an area of dense vegetation, it came under fire from both flanks and the front. After executing a retrograde movement, CPT Hays directed artillery support and airstrikes against the hostile fortifications. At this point, CPT Hays led an assault against the enemy positions. Although 2 of his platoon leaders were seriously wounded during the initial moments of the attack, CPT Hays rallied his men onward and began eliminating the bunker positions one at a time. When the lead elements became completely surrounded by insurgent forces, CPT Hays rushed to their aid and led them onward to completely overrun and rout the enemy force from the area. During the hours of darkness, CPT Hays positioned his men in observation posts to prohibit the enemy from removing arms and their dead comrades from the battlefield. CPT Hays' extraordinary heroism in close combat against a Viet Cong force earned him the U.S. Army's third highest award for valor, the Silver Star Medal.

On 8 November 1968, CPT Hays was commander of armored cavalry Troop B near An Loc. As CPT Hays was leading 2 platoons of his unit and a light tank section on a sweep through an area of dense rubber trees, a North Vietnamese Army force unleashed an intense barrage of small arms, automatic weapons and antitank rocket fire. He led a charge toward the attackers, pushing them into another section of the rubber trees. The remaining enemy then joined with a still-larger North Vietnamese Army element and began a defense. During the course of the engagement, CPT Hays manned a machine gun and directed a heavy volume of suppressive fire, while also coordinating his force through the use of hand and arm signals that left him dangerously exposed. Suddenly his vehicle received a direct hit from an antitank rocket, knocking him to the ground. Although dazed, he ignored his injuries and, remounting the track, continued to fire the machine gun. When a group of North Vietnamese soldiers made a direct assault on his position, he killed 2 of them and scattered the rest. A few moments later his vehicle received another direct hit from an antitank rocket, mortally wounding him. CPT Hays' extraordinary heroism, at the cost of his life, earned him the U.S. Army's second highest award for valor, the Distinguished Service Cross.

Medals and Awards

Distinguished Service Cross
Silver Star Medal
Purple Heart with Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster
Army Commendation Medal with Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster Vietnam Service Medal
Vietnam Campaign Medal

Distinguished Service Cross Citation

The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918 (amended by act of July 25, 1963), takes pride in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross (Posthumously) to Captain (Armor) John Hulsey Hays (ASN: OF-104780), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action in connection with military operations involving conflict with an armed hostile force in the Republic of Vietnam, while serving with Troop B, 1st Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment. Captain Hays distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous actions on 8 November 1968 while serving as the commander of an armored cavalry troop near An Loc. As Captain Hays was leading two platoons of his unit and a light tank section on a sweep through an area of dense rubber trees, a North Vietnamese Army force unleashed an intense barrage of small arms, automatic weapons and antitank rocket fire. He immediately led a charge toward the attackers, pushing them into another section of the rubber trees. The remaining enemy then joined with a still larger North Vietnamese Army element and began a determined defense. During the course of the fierce engagement, Captain Hays manned a machine gun and directed a tremendous volume of suppressive fire, while also coordinating his force through the use of hand and arm signals which left him dangerously exposed. Suddenly his vehicle received a direct hit from an antitank rocket, knocking him to the ground. Although dazed, he ignored his injuries and, remounting the track, continued to fire the machine gun. When a group of North Vietnamese soldiers made a direct assault on his position, he killed two of them and scattered the rest. A few moments later his vehicle received another direct hit from an antitank rocket mortally wounding him. Captain Hays' extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty, at the cost of his life, were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.

General Orders: Headquarters, U.S. Army, Vietnam, General Orders No. 5896 (December 30, 1968)

Honors

The name John H Hays is located on Panel 39W Line 37 of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall.

Burial

Captain John Hulsey Hays is buried at Lakeside Memorial Park in Winter Haven, Polk County, F, in Section E, Lot 14, Space 7.