b. 02/10/1897 Florence, Texas. d. 18/03/1974 Washington DC.
DATE OF MOH ACTION: 15/09/1918 Thiaucourt, France.
David E Hayden MOH
Hayden was born in Florence, Texas, and enlisted in the Navy in October 1917. He received training in San Diego Naval Base, California, and Quantico, Virginia. During the war, he was attached to the 2/6th Marines as a Hospital Apprentice First Class. The Marine outfit saw action in France at the Battle of Saint-Mihiel, during which Hayden ran through heavy enemy fire to administer aid to a wounded Marine, Corporal Creed. For this action, he was awarded the Medal of Honor.
After the war, Hayden was promoted to Pharmacist’s Mate Third Class. He served aboard the troop transport Princess Matoika until the summer of 1920. He then served as a U.S. Marshal in California until the age of seventy. David E Hayden died on March 18, 1974, and He was buried at Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia.
MOH CITATION:
For gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. During the advance, when Cpl. Creed was mortally wounded while crossing an open field swept by machine-gun fire, Hayden unhesitatingly ran to his assistance and, finding him so severely wounded as to require immediate attention, disregarded his own personal safety to dress the wound under intense machine-gun fire, and then carried the wounded man back to a place of safety.
BURIAL LOCATION: ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY, ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA.
SECTION 36, LOT 1864.
LOCATION OF MEDAL: LEGION OF VALOR MUSEUM, FRESNO, CALIFORNIA.
