If you have any questions, additional biographical information, personal remembrances, or photographs you would like to contribute, please contact the History Project Manager via this Email Link.

They Say, our deaths are not ours, they are yours, they will mean what you make of them. They say, we leave you our deaths, give them some meaning. Archibald MacLeish poet and WWI veteran.

 

     On Thursday, 2 January 1969, PFC William John Hayes, age 20, of Rockaway Beach, NY, for reasons known only to God and himself, took his own life with his M16 rifle while in a barracks at the B Company compound on Long Binh Post.

     His ambush team squad leader, SGT Darrell Keckler, and others, attempted in vain to disarm and prevent the incident. SGT Keckler was seriously wounded in the attempt.

On 6 January 1969 at 5:00 PM a Memorial Mass service was held at the 89th MP Group Chapel on Long Binh Post for PFC Hayes. < Memorial Services Program Courtesy of CSM (Ret.) Burton E. Morrow, 720th MP Battalion, 1968-1969, click on the icon to view the program pamphlet pages.

--- General / Personal ---
Last name: HAYES
First name: WILLIAM JOHN
Home of Record (official): ROCKAWAY BEACH
State (official): NY
Date of Birth: Thursday, September 9, 1948
Sex: Male
Race: Caucasian
Marital Status: Single

--- Military ---
Branch: Army
Rank: PFC
Serial Number: 67193053
Component: Regular
Pay grade: E3
MOS (Military Occupational Specialty code):
62B10, Construction Equipment Repairer

--- Action ---
Start of Tour: Wednesday, June 19, 1968
Date of Casualty: Thursday, January 2, 1969
Age at time of loss: 20
Casualty type: (C1) Non-hostile, died of other causes
Reason: Unknown / Not reported (Ground casualty)
Country: South VietNam
Province: Bien Hoa
The Wall: Panel 35W - Row 021

Remembrances

18 August 2004

Dear Sir,

My name is Darrell l. Keckler and I just found the page on the death of William Hayes. You , for some reason, just gave me closing on this by me seeing that some knew.
 
Thanking you with all my heart I am respectfully Yours,
 
Darrell L Keckler, SGT, B Company, 720th MP Battalion, 89th MP Group, 18th MP Brigade, 1968-1969.