John Briggs Hayes
Admiral, U.S. Coast Guard
Commandant (1978-1982)

John Briggs Hayes was born on 30 August 1924 in Jamestown, NY.

A native of New York, Hayes graduated from the Coast Guard Academy in 1946 and was commissioned an Ensign and assigned to the USCGC Comanche. By 1951 he was promoted to Lieutenant and assigned as Commander of the LORAN transmitting station in Matsume, Japan. In 1952, he was given command of USCGC Ariadne and a year later was re-assigned as Commander of the Coast Guard Base at Key West, FL.

In 1964 he earned a degree from George Washington University in Washington, DC. In 1966, he was appointed Commander of Naval Task Force 115.4 and Division II, Coast Guard Squadron One in Vietnam until 1967, when he was named Chief of the Shore Facilities Branch of the Search and Rescue Division at Coast Guard Headquarters. In 1968 he was promoted to Captain and made Chief of the Planning and Evaluation Staff of the Office of Boating Safety.

In 1971 he was appointed Commandant of Cadets at the Coast Guard Academy. After being promoted to Rear Admiral in 1973, he was appointed Comptroller of the Coast Guard until 1975, when he was then appointed Commander of the 17th Coast Guard District. In 1978 he was promoted to the four-star rank of Admiral and named the 16th Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard. He served in that assignment until his retirement in 1982.

Death and Burial

Admiral John Briggs Hayes died on 17 January 2001 after being struck by a vehicle while hiking in Key West, FL. He was 76.