Lucky Bag Yearbook

From the 1950 Lucky Bag:

HOUSTON CONANT HAYWARD

Hugh left the Navy’s V-5 program to enter the Academy, but he plans to return after graduation. Music in various shapes and forms captured most of his spare time. Hugh did a splendid job organizing the Twelve-Fifties, a triple quartet which performed frequently about the Academy. Tuesday evenings and Sunday mornings found him in the Chapel Choir loft; and when not otherwise occupied, he would break out his guitar or sweet potato. Star boat sailing kept him from the ranks of the Radiator Squad. He likes the water and will probably see a lot more of it in the years to come.

Loss

Houston was lost on January 31, 1953 when his aircraft collided with that of a squadron-mate over the Mediterranean Sea. He was a member of Fighter Squadron (VF) 61, operating from USS Midway (CVA 41). (Information from the now-defunct website USNA 1950.)

Other Information

From Clarion-Ledger, Jackson, Mississippi, on February 3, 1953:

The 25-year-old navy flyer was born in Evanston, Ill., and graduated from the Township High School in 1946. He was a member of the 1950 graduating class of the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Md., where he was a member of the Triple Quartet, who called themselves the “12-50’s” and sang on the Navy Hour, other nationwide radio shows and the White House.

Following his graduation from Annapolis, young Hayward was assigned to the heavy cruiser Helena, and participated in the action off Korea. He spent Christmas of 1951 in Jackson before reporting to Pensacola, Fla., for flight training. Graduating in June, 1952, Lt. Hayward was selected for jet flying and sent to Corpus Christi, Tex., where he was graduated in August, 1952. He was then assigned to the Mediterranean area with the Atlantic Squadron and was stationed on the USS Midway, aircraft carrier.

From researcher Kathy Franz:

Houston played Dick Dead Eye in the “H. M. S. Pinafore” production on February 23, 1946, at Evanston Township High School.

Survivors include his father Harold, a manager of the Washington National Insurance Company, step-mother Mynelle, brothers Winchell, Warren and Terry. His mother Ernestine predeceased him.

Houston is buried in Mississippi.

Photographs