William S Hayes

William Stephen Hayes III

Company C 1-22 Infantry

4th Infantry Division

February 5, 2006

Age: 23

Hometown: St. Tammany, LA (Slidell)

Date of Death: 2/5/2006

Incident Location: Baghdad

Branch of Military: Army

Rank: Spc.

MOS: 19K-Armor Crewman

Unit: 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division (Mech)

Unit's Base: Fort Hood, Texas

**********************

From the Freedom Remembered website

SPC William Hayes' decorations

William S. Hayes

as a Private E-2
in the 66th Armor Regiment
before he was assigned to
1-22 Infantry

Photo from the
Iraq/Afghanistan War Heroes website

Soldier from Slidell dies in Iraq

By Matthew Penix

St. Tammany News

SLIDELL - A 23-year-old soldier from Slidell whose father said had a passion for life
died in Iraq from a "non-combat" injury, his family said Tuesday.

Spc. William S. Hayes III, a Slidell High School graduate, died Sunday in Baghdad during Operation Iraq Freedom,
according to the Department of Defense.

The death is under investigation, but a DOD spokeswoman could not confirm reports Hayes died in a car accident.
She said non-combat deaths are classified as illness, accidental, foul play, suicide or an act of God,
such as being struck by lightning.

"He was the most wonderful kid you've ever met," said his father, William Hayes,
during a brief phone conversation Tuesday morning.

Hayes' funeral is expected to take place in Slidell in the next week to 10 days when his body is returned, Hayes' father said.

Hayes started his initial training at Fort Knox, Ky., as an M-1 armor crewman.
He was then assigned to the 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team
and 4th Infantry division at Fort Hood, Texas.

Covington News Banner http://www.newsbanner.com/

**********************

This month we lost an influential member of our ranks.
SPC William Hayes passed away in the early morning hours of February 5^th, 2006.
William Hayes was an important member of C Company, 1-22 Infantry.
His willingness to perform any task distinguished him as one of the most reliable Soldiers in the Company.
Just one week prior, SPC Hayes found a large, hidden IED on a dismounted patrol –
his actions saved the lives of many of his platoon members.
SPC Hayes’s dedication to his platoon and his mission played a key role in the overall success
of our Company and the Battalion.

—Captain John Robertson February 15, 2006

**********************

Birth: Dec. 11, 1982
Louisiana, USA
Death: Feb. 5, 2006
Baghdad, Iraq

Spc. William S. Hayes III, of St. Tammany, died Sunday in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He was a lifelong resident of Slidell
and a 2001 graduate of Slidell High School. He was serving his country in Iraq with the First 22nd Infantry in the U.S. Army and was a tank driver
and munitions loader. He is survived by his parents, William S. Hayes Jr. and Debra Gafford Hayes; grandmother, Lola Beth Hayes;
brother, Elvis Jackson Hayes; and sisters Jennifer Ann Hayes and Michelle Marie Hayes all of Slidell. He was preceded in death by his grandparents,
William S. Hayes Sr., Frieda Perry of Ashland City, Tenn., and Elvis Elmo Gafford. He was 24.

Army
1st Battalion,
22nd Infantry Regiment,
1st Brigade Combat Team,
4th Infantry Division,
Fort Hood, Texas

Burial:
Forest Lawn Cemetery
Slidell
St. Tammany Parish
Louisiana, USA

Grave marker for Specialist William S. Hayes

Photo by Sam Lindsay MSgt USMC Ret from the Find A Grave website

BACK