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Last Name: HAYS	First Name Middle Initial: GEORGE J.		Nick Name:
Street:	City & State: LARGO, FL		E-Mail: CYBERBUCK3@aol.com
Zip:	Phone:		Spouse: ALBERTA CONGDON MAZYCK HAYS
Conflict: WWII, KOREA, VIETNAM	Service Branch: ARMY AIR FORCE		Unit: 8TH AIRFORCE
Theater:	Basic Training:		Date Entered Service: 28 OCT 1942
Bases Stationed: ENGLAND, SCOTLAND, KOREA, PATRICK AFB/FL, JAPAN, TINKER AFB/OK, SHAW AFB/SC, VIETNAM, LANGLEY AFB/VA			Length Of Service: 9408 days
Discharged / Retired: HONORABLE	Date Left Service: 31 JUL 1968		Age When Enlisted: 20
Medals Received: AMw/90LC-G-69, HQPACAF,63/ DFCw/1OLC-G-18,8FtrComd,44/ AFRESMw/HGD/ UNSM,NDSMw/1BSS AFLSAw/3OLC/ KSMw/2BSS/ VSM/ DUC/ EAMECMw/2BSS/ ROKPUC/ RVCM/
Military Job: PILOT P-47, RF-80, RF-86		Occupation After War: RETIRED FROM MILITARY (USAF)
Primary Civilian Employer:
Date This Site First Published:		Date Last Edited: 3/19/2009

Military Bio:

Retired Lt. Colonel George Hays was born in Rome, GA and grew up in Leeds, AL. He began his military career at age 18, after completing his freshman year at University of Alabama. Wanting to help our European allies in the war effort against Hitler, and having a lifetime interest in flying, he joined the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1940, for flight training. After a year, he transferred to England’s Royal Air Force and flew Spitfires.
After the U.S. declared war, Colonel Hays transferred to the U.S. Army’s 8th Air Force as a Second Lieutenant to assist with the Air Offensive Europe campaign. Through Oct. 1944, he flew P-47s on escort missions to protect bombers conducting air raids over Europe.
After completing his combat tour, he returned to the U.S. as a Captain, where he instructed combat flight to P-47 pilots en route to Europe. These pilots were graduates of military flying programs in Louisiana and Texas.
In January 1945, he separated from the military and went back to University of Alabama, graduating in 1950 with a bachelor of science in civil engineering.
Colonel Hays was recalled to active duty as a Captain in 1951 to help with the Korean War. There, he flew RF-80s and RF-86s on reconnaissance missions for approximately one year.
In 1952, he was assigned to Patrick AFB, home of the USAF Missile Test Center. His unit flew chase planes with the Northrop Snark, Martin Matador and the Boeing Bomarc in test flights. He was promoted to Major in 1954.
In 1962, he was assigned the position of Air Advisor to the South Vietnamese Army for piloting L19s.
In 1963, he was assigned to the Tactical Air Command Headquarters, where he served until retirement in 1968.
Colonel Hays' decorations include the Distinguished Flying Cross with one Oak Leaf Cluster and the Air Medal with nine Oak Leaf Clusters.
George Hays retired to the Tampa Bay area, near the coast and the city of Largo. He passed away 09 Sept. 2008 in Madisonville, Tennessee, where he had moved May 2007, after the death of his wife of 54 years, to live on the farm where his younger daughter and son-in-law reside.