In the photo of Lieutenant Colonel Richard Hayward in uniform, just above his ribbons are a Combat Infantryman Badge and the Cross of a Chaplain. Christmas eve, 1944 in a shell hole in the Pacific was the time that changed his life forever. Two thirds of his unit had been killed or wounded in the last two weeks and his buddy was talking about going home because of a badly mangled hand.
He felt hopeless and helpless and began trembling and crying, one word echoed in his mind, “God, God, God.” Then, “I can’t take it anymore. You take over I’m your man.” In his mind he heard “It’s going to be alright.”
He survived many more months of combat always feeling the protection of God. Four times during the 220 days he was on the front lines he should have been killed or wounded. A sniper’s bullet struck a tree where he had been standing moments before. On another occasion a bullet tore off the heel of his boot. An artillery shell landed within 20 feet of him but did not explode nor did a land mine.
After the war, he was called to the ministry and after graduation from the University of Southern California and the San Francisco Theological Seminary he was ordained in the Presbyterian Church in 1953. Recalling his impressive personal experience with military chaplains, Richard took a commission as a chaplain in the newly established U. S. Air Force.
His first overseas assignment was at an isolated radar station in Germany. The station’s complement of 300 men would go to town on Saturday night and return to the base early Sunday morning. Attendance at Sunday services was understandably scant. Undaunted Hayward changed the time of the services to 1:15 in the afternoon and attendance increased by 500 percent. He also organized a bowling league for the troops. The resulting increase in morale won Hayward the praise of the base commander.
While stationed in the Netherlands Hayward established the American Protestant Church of The Hague. In 2006, on the 50th anniversary of the church, Hayward was honored as the church’s Founding Pastor. The church building has been designated a National Treasure by the Dutch government.
Back in the United States Hayward went on to create 30 minute taped radio broadcasts to serve the needs of the personnel assigned to bases in New Mexico as well as residents throughout the state. While stationed on Okinawa Hayward again produced taped radio programs of popular music interspersed with personal thoughts and values. The programs were intended to encourage US military personnel serving on Okinawa to attend Sunday services.
Hayward’s next assignment was Selfridge Air Force Base (AFB), which was located near his hometown of Mount Clemens, Michigan where he had attended high school. During the Vietnam War he was stationed at Nakhon Phanom AFB in northern Thailand. His final assignment was as the Senior Protestant Chaplain at Vandenburg AFB in California. He retired from active duty in 1973.
Following his retirement from the Air Force, Chaplain Hayward was the Public Relations Director for all of the YMCAs in San Diego County. He then pastored several churches.
Chaplain Hayward and his wife of 65 years, Betty, lived in Coronado, San Diego. Unfortunately, Betty died Sept.2, 2017.
The Hometown Heroes banners can be viewed on Third and Fourth Streets between Orange Avenue and Alameda Boulevard, which has been designated by the City of Coronado as “The Avenue of Heroes” and recently designated by the State of California as a Blue Star Memorial Highway. For more information on how to nominate a banner recipient, you can go to the Avenue of Heroes webpage on the City of Coronado website