View source for Thomas B. Hayward

{{Short description|Chief of Naval Operations for the United States Navy}}
{{for|the American politician|Thomas B. Hayward (politician)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2022}}
{{Infobox military person
| name = Thomas B. Hayward
| image = ADM Hayward, Thomas B CNO Official Portrait.jpg
| image_size = 
| alt = 
| caption = Hayward, 21st Chief of Naval Operations
| nickname = 
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1924|5|3}}
| birth_place = Glendale, California, U.S.
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2022|3|3|1924|5|3}}
| death_place = Seattle, Washington, U.S.
| placeofburial = 
| allegiance = <!-- United States; too obvious to list -->
| branch = United States Navy
| serviceyears = 1942–1982
| rank = Admiral
| unit = 
| commands = Chief of Naval Operations<br/>United States Pacific Fleet<br/>United States Seventh Fleet<br/>{{USS|America|CVA-66}}<br/>{{USS|Graffias|AF-29}}<br/>Carrier Air Wing Ten<br/>VF-103
| battles = World War II<br/>Korean War<br/>Vietnam War
| awards = Defense Distinguished Service Medal (2)<br/>Navy Distinguished Service Medal (3)<br/>Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medal<br/>Legion of Merit (3) with Combat V<br/>Distinguished Flying Cross
| relations = 
| laterwork = 
}}
Admiral '''Thomas Bibb Hayward''' (May 3, 1924 – March 3, 2022) was Chief of Naval Operations for the United States Navy from July 1, 1978, until June 30, 1982, after which he retired from military service.

==Naval career==
Shortly after the commencement of World War II, Hayward enlisted in the U.S. Navy V-5 aviation program and was called to active duty as a naval aviation cadet in 1943, anticipating that he would shortly be flying combat in the South Pacific. However, when roughly halfway through the flight training syllabus, he competed for and was accepted to attend the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland, to position himself for a career in the U.S. Navy at war's end. He graduated from the Academy in July 1947, and was assigned to the {{USS|Antietam|CV-36}} as an engineering officer. In 1949, he returned to flight training at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida, and received his United States Naval Aviator wings in July 1950. The Korean War having begun, as a lieutenant junior grade, he reported to VF-51 and flew from the decks of the aircraft carriers {{USS|Essex|CV-9}} and {{USS|Valley Forge|CV-45}}, flying 146 combat missions, and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, seven Air Medals, and two Navy Commendation Medals with Combat "V" for Valor. One of Hayward's squadron mates in VF-51 was future astronaut Neil Armstrong, who became his lifelong friend.

Following his Korean tour, Hayward became a Navy test pilot, a lead instructor in the forerunner to the Navy Fighter Weapons School, also known as TOPGUN, and Commanding Officer of VF-103. He also attended the Naval War College in 1958. In 1959 he was one of the 32 finalists for NASA Astronaut Group 1, but ultimately was not selected.

In 1965–66, as Commander Carrier Air Wing Ten (CW-10), Hayward flew 36 combat missions in Vietnam, flying from the deck of {{USS|Intrepid|CV-11}}, receiving the Legion of Merit and three Air Medals. In 1967, he attended the National War College and obtained a master's degree in Foreign Affairs from George Washington University. As a captain, Hayward returned to Vietnam as Commanding Officer of the {{USS|Graffias|AF-29}} and later as Commanding Officer of the {{USS|America|CVA-66}}, for which he was awarded the Legion of Merit.

Hayward then had tours of duty as commander of the United States Seventh Fleet from 1975 to 1976, and then Commander in Chief of the United States Pacific Fleet from August 12, 1976, to May 9, 1978.

As Chief of Naval Operations, Hayward is best remembered for his "Pride in the Navy" priority: the emphasis on rebuilding readiness of both active and reserve forces; restoring priority in mine warfare; and his success in the zero tolerance "Not in my Navy" drug program.

In 1981, he was awarded the Society of Experimental Test Pilots James H. Doolittle Award. In January 2007, the United States Naval Academy Alumni Association announced Admiral Thomas B. Hayward as one of four recipients of its 2007 Distinguished Graduate Award.

==Corporate career and retirement==
After retirement from the Navy, his primary efforts were in the field of education, where he helped co-found companies focused on reading and math solutions K-12, masters and doctorates in education, and both domestic and international distance learning for college and higher ed. He also served on the board of advisors of the Code of Support Foundation, a nonprofit military services organization.

==Death==
Hayward died on March 3, 2022, at the age of 97 in Seattle, Washington.

==Awards and decorations==
{| style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
|colspan="3"|[[File:Naval Aviator Badge.jpg|200px]]
|-
|colspan="3"|{{Ribbon devices|number=1|type=oak|ribbon=Defense Distinguished Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}}&nbsp;{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Navy Distinguished Service ribbon.svg|width=106}}<span style="position:relative; top: 0px; left: -76px; display: inline-block; width: 0;">[[File:1 golden star.svg|22px]]</span><span style="position:relative; top: 0px; left: -54px; display: inline-block; width: 0;">[[File:1 golden star.svg|22px]]</span>
|-
|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Coast Guard Distinguished Service ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Legion of Merit ribbon.svg|width=106}}<span style="position:relative; top: 0px; left: -63px; display: inline-block; width: 0;">[[File:Combat Distinguishing Device.svg|21px]]</span><span style="position:relative; top: 0px; left: -88px; display: inline-block; width: 0;">[[File:1 golden star.svg|22px]]</span><span style="position:relative; top: 0px; left: -40px; display: inline-block; width: 0;">[[File:1 golden star.svg|22px]]</span>
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Distinguished_Flying_Cross_ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|-
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Air Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}}<span style="position:relative; top: 0px; left: -76px; display: inline-block; width: 0;">[[File:1 golden star.svg|22px]]</span><span style="position:relative; top: 0px; left: -54px; display: inline-block; width: 0;">[[File:Award-star-silver-3d.png|21px]]</span><span style="position:relative; top: 0px; left: -30px; display: inline-block; width: 0;">[[File:Award numeral 3.png|20px]]</span>
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Navy and Marine Corps Commendation ribbon.svg|width=106}}<span style="position:relative; top: 0px; left: -63px; display: inline-block; width: 0;">[[File:Combat Distinguishing Device.svg|21px]]</span><span style="position:relative; top: 0px; left: -88px; display: inline-block; width: 0;">[[File:1 golden star.svg|22px]]</span>
|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=Navy Unit Commendation ribbon.svg|width=106px}}<span style="position:relative; top: 0px; left: -71px; display: inline-block; width: 0;">[[File:Bronze-service-star-3d.svg|18px]]</span><span style="position:relative; top: 0px; left: -52px; display: inline-block; width: 0;">[[File:Bronze-service-star-3d.svg|18px]]</span>
|-
|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=China Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=American_Campaign_Medal_ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|-
|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=World War II Victory Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=Army of Occupation ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|{{Ribbon devices|number=1|type=service-star|ribbon=National Defense Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|-
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=Korean_Service_Medal_-_Ribbon.svg|width=106}}<span style="position:relative; top: 0px; left: -71px; display: inline-block; width: 0;">[[File:Bronze-service-star-3d.svg|18px]]</span><span style="position:relative; top: 0px; left: -90px; display: inline-block; width: 0;">[[File:Bronze-service-star-3d.svg|18px]]</span><span style="position:relative; top: 0px; left: -52px; display: inline-block; width: 0;">[[File:Bronze-service-star-3d.svg|18px]]</span><span style="position:relative; top: 0px; left: -33px; display: inline-block; width: 0;">[[File:Bronze-service-star-3d.svg|18px]]</span>
|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=Vietnam Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}}<span style="position:relative; top: 0px; left: -71px; display: inline-block; width: 0;">[[File:Bronze-service-star-3d.svg|18px]]</span><span style="position:relative; top: 0px; left: -90px; display: inline-block; width: 0;">[[File:Silver-service-star-3d.svg|18px]]</span><span style="position:relative; top: 0px; left: -52px; display: inline-block; width: 0;">[[File:Bronze-service-star-3d.svg|18px]]</span><span style="position:relative; top: 0px; left: -33px; display: inline-block; width: 0;">[[File:Bronze-service-star-3d.svg|18px]]</span>
|-
|[[File:JPN_Kyokujitsu-sho_blank_BAR.svg|106px]]
|[[File:Order of the Cloud and Banner 2nd.gif|106px]]
|[[File:Gugseon_Security_Medal_Ribbon.png|106px]]
|-
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=VPD_National_Order_of_Vietnam_-_Knight_BAR.svg|width=106}}
|[[File:Vietnamese Gallantry Cross, with palm.svg|106px]]
|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=Presidential Unit Citation (Korea).svg|width=106}}
|-
|[[File:Vietnam_gallantry_cross_unit_award-3d.svg|106px]]
|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=United Nations Service Medal Korea ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=Vietnam Campaign Medal ribbon with 60- clasp.svg|width=106}}
|-
|colspan="3"|[[File:Joint_Chiefs_of_Staff_seal.svg|120px]]
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
|-
|colspan="3"|Naval Aviator Badge
|-
|Defense Distinguished Service Medal with 1 bronze oak leaf cluster
|
|Navy Distinguished Service Medal with 1 gold award star
|-
|Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medal
|Legion of Merit with Combat V and 2 award stars
|Distinguished Flying Cross
|-
|Air Medal with one silver, one bronze award stars and bronze Strike/Flight numeral 3
|Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with Combat V and award star
|Navy Unit Commendation with two bronze service stars
|-
|Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation
|China Service Medal
|American Campaign Medal
|-
|World War II Victory Medal
|Navy Occupation Service Medal
|National Defense Service Medal with 1 service star
|-
|Korean Service Medal with 4 service stars
|Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
|Vietnam Service Medal with 8 service stars
|-
|Order of the Rising Sun, degree unknown (''Japan'')
|Order of the Cloud and Banner with Grand Cordon, 2nd Grade (''Republic of China'')
|Order of National Security Merit Gukseon Medal, 2nd Class (''Republic of Korea'')
|-
|National Order of Vietnam, Knight
|Vietnam Gallantry Cross with palm
|Korean Presidential Unit Citation
|-
|Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation
|United Nations Korea Medal
|Vietnam Campaign Medal
|-
|colspan="3"|Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge
|-
|}

{{Commons category}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-mil}}
{{succession box|title=Chief of Naval Operations|before=James L. Holloway III|years = 1978–1982 | after = James D. Watkins}}
{{s-end}}

{{Chief of Naval Operations}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hayward, Thomas B.}}