World War II Honoree

John Hayward

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Atlantic Beach, Florida

Honored By

Family & Friends

SERVED AS A VICE ADMIRAL. AS A PILOT HE FOUGHT IN THE SOLOMON ISLANDS AND NEW GUINEA CAMPAIGNS. THE SQUADRON HE COMMANDED DESTROYED 43 JAPANESE SHIPS, INCLUDING THREE SUBMARINES AND DAMAGED 54 OTHER VESSELS. ADMIRAL HAYWARD'S RECORD OF 13,200 FLIGHT HOURS WAS THE HIGHEST EVER ACHIEVED BY A FLAG OFFICER. IN 1944 HE JOINED THE MANHATTAN PROJECT, THE WARTIME EFFORT TO DESIGN AND BUILD ATOMIC WEAPONS, AND WAS ASSIGNED TO THE CHINA LAKE NAVAL ORDNANCE TEST STATION IN CALIFORNIA, WHERE HE HELPED DEVELOP THE IMPLOSION COMPONENTS OF THE PLUTONIUM BOMB THAT WAS DROPPED ON NAGASAKI ON AUGUST 9, 1945.