"What a cruel thing is war: to separate and destroy families and friends, and mar the purest joys and happiness God has granted us in this world; to fill our hearts with hatred instead of love for our neighbors, and to devastate the fair face of this beautiful world." Quote from Robert E. Lee

Wayne M. Hayes grew up in Marshfield, Wisconsin, with loving family and friends. He was always very outgoing at any event he attended and was good at remembering everyone's names. Wayne had a wonderful personality and would get along with just about anybody he met. Throughout high school, he ran in track and liked to party with his friends. Before heading out to the Army, he worked on construction sites with his brother, Larry. Unfortunately, Wayne never had the chance to marry nor have children.

Wayne was very close with his brother and since Larry was only three years older than he, they did everything together. Larry was going into the Navy when Wayne was a sophomore in high school. They shared many memories together, good and bad. A favorite of Larry's was one day when he was in college, he came to visit Wayne after getting his driver's license, and they had the house to themselves. The two of them got into a serious wrestling match and made a huge mess throughout the entire house.

No one got to see Wayne before he left for the Army because he enlisted in 1965 while visiting his uncle in Washington. He never came back home after he left for Vietnam. He did write a few letters to his parents, but they never contained much information or detail.

Wayne became a First Lieutenant in the Army, and was supposed to come home on July 7, 1967, but he died on July 6, 1967, of multiple wounds. Just one more day to survive was all he had until he could be back home with his family for good. That morning his parents received a telegram, and by late afternoon a Marine came to the house to inform them he had passed.

After Wayne's death things were very quiet around the house during the days they took to arrange the funeral. It was extremely difficult for Larry to handle the news of Wayne's death. Since they were so close, it took Larry a few years to come to grips with the fact that Wayne was never coming home again. Over time, Larry really missed the companionship of not just his brother, but of a really good friend as well.

Written by: Chloe Miller, East Junior High School