WAYNE R. HYATT, MAJ, USMC
Wayne Hyatt '59
Lucky Bag
From the 1959 Lucky Bag:
WAYNE R. HYATT
Hanceville, Alabama
Fifteenth Company
Wayne came to us via NAPS and shucked a set of Marine greens to don the Blue and Gold, but always insisted that he was merely TAD for four years. If there is anything he is fonder of than the Corps, it must be that beautiful farm he calls home in Alabama. The course of instruction never gave Wayne much trouble except when he tried to study and that usually finished him because he couldn't get his twelve hours sleep per day. His pride and joy was a hi-fi set that he built and we will all remember the window shattering sounds it occasionally emitted. Wherever he may go, you may be sure of two things, he'll be gung-ho and he'll never let you down.
WAYNE R. HYATT
Hanceville, Alabama
Fifteenth Company
Wayne came to us via NAPS and shucked a set of Marine greens to don the Blue and Gold, but always insisted that he was merely TAD for four years. If there is anything he is fonder of than the Corps, it must be that beautiful farm he calls home in Alabama. The course of instruction never gave Wayne much trouble except when he tried to study and that usually finished him because he couldn't get his twelve hours sleep per day. His pride and joy was a hi-fi set that he built and we will all remember the window shattering sounds it occasionally emitted. Wherever he may go, you may be sure of two things, he'll be gung-ho and he'll never let you down.
Loss
From Together We Served:
Major Hyatt was the aircraft commander of Marine CH-53D (BuNo 156667). He served with HMH-463. He was killed along with his four crew and three passengers in the crash of the CH-53. near Doi Dian, Thua Thien Province, RVN enroute to Marble Mountain, Da Nang Air Base.
Other Information
From researcher Kathy Franz:
A graduate of Hanceville High School, he entered the Naval Academy on a Fleet appointment in 1955 after serving as a sergeant in the Marine Corps. He graduated and was commissioned as a 2nd Lt. in the Marine Corps.
Wayne married Carol Barefoot on June 6, 1959, at Hanceville First Baptist Church. They cut the wedding cake with his sword.
In March 1960, he completed the 30-week officer’s basic course at the Marine Corps School in Quantico. He made his first solo flight there in August. He was also being instructed in Communications, Navigation, Engineering, Athletics, Aerology and civil air regulations.
In April 1961, he completed six arresting carrier landing qualifications aboard the training carrier USS Antietam in the Gulf of Mexico. In July 1961, he was undergoing helicopter flight training with Helicopter Training Squadron Eight at the Ellyson Field Auxiliary Landing Field in Pensacola. The eight-week course consisted of ground school instruction and 60 hours of flight instruction.
In December 1961, he was a member of Marine Helicopter Transport Squadron 262, a unit of the Third Battalion (Reinforced), Second Marine Regiment, Second Marine Division, the landing force of the Sixth Fleet. The squadron returned to Camp Lejeune, N. C. in February after visiting Barcelona, Naples, Athens, the island of Rhodes, and the French Riviera.
In May 1963, he was a member of Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 261, Marine Air Group 26 at the Marine Corps Air Facility New River in Jacksonville, N. C. He departed for the Marine Corps Air Station El Toro in Santa Ana, Calif., for further transfer overseas.
In addition to his wife, he was survived by his sister Emma and his parents, Reuben, an RFD postal carrier, and Lela. His brother James died as an infant.
Photographs
From The Cullman Tribune on July 2, 1959
From The Cullman Tribune on December 7, 1961
Killed In Action Determination
Seven other Marines and an army soldier were aboard the aircraft. For forty-seven years, this loss was officially due to mechanical failure. However, on April 8, 2018 the Deputy Commandant of the Marine Corps (Manpower and Reserve Affairs) approved the awarding of the Purple Heart to Wayne and the other Marines. Mr. William Whitehurst (who was aboard another helicopter that day) and others in Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron (HMH) 463 were able to show it was more than likely that the crash was the result of hostile fire.
Wayne is buried in Alabama. He was survived by his wife, Carol.
Memorials
Wayne is among those names on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. His name was added to the killed in action panel in the front of Memorial Hall following the Deputy Commandant's determination of hostile fire in April 2018.
The "category" links below lead to lists of related Honorees; use them to explore further the service and sacrifice of alumni in Memorial Hall.
