THANK YOU, VETERANS. I goofed on Monday. I goofed hard. I failed to remember that Monday was Veterans Day!
While I didn’t acknowledge Veterans Day in the Skull Session, I spent some time on Monday reading about Buckeyes who served in the military. One of them was the late great Woody Hayes. Before Monday, I knew Hayes loved the military, but I didn’t know he served during World War II. At least, I don’t think I did. Regardless, discovering more about the coach’s tenure in the Navy inspired me, so I decided to share what I learned here.
In the summer of 1941,
Hayes enlisted in the Navy. He requested active duty and became a Lieutenant Commander during World War II. Hayes commanded PC 1251 in the invasion of Palau and the
USS Rinehart in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Hayes was crossing through the Panama Canal when his alma mater, Denison University, hired him as its head football coach.
“People talked about how devoted Woody is to football. He was just as dedicated to the Navy,” Hayes’ wife, Anne, said. “Why, we had been married only five days when he asked for sea duty. He didn’t get it at once, but he did request it. Stevie (their son) was nearly nine months old before Woody saw him for the first time.”
Today & Everyday.
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November 11, 2024
When Hayes’ five years of service ended, the military never left him. Throughout his coaching career, he lectured players on military history and used war analogies to explain football to them. Hayes even designed a running play for Pete Johnson called “Patton,” named after United States Gen. George Patton.
In addition to coaching football, Hayes was an associate professor at Ohio State. As such, he spent a lot of time at the Faculty Club discussing the American Revolution, Civil War and both World Wars with the school’s other professors and academics. Patton, Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon were among Hayes' favorite people to quote in those conversations.
Believe it or not, Hayes and Nixon were close. The former president eulogized Hayes at his funeral in Columbus. Nixon told a story about their first meeting, one in which Nixon wanted to talk football and Hayes wanted to talk foreign policy.
“You know Woody,” Nixon said. “We talked foreign policy.”
He continued: “For 30 years thereafter, I was privileged to know the real Woody Hayes. I knew the man behind the myth. Instead of a know-nothing Neanderthal, I found a renaissance man with a consuming interest in history and a profound understanding of the forces that moved the world.”
The
legendary Wayne Woodrow Hayes. May we all strive to be like him, men and women, with a consuming interest in history, a profound understanding of the forces that moved the world – and a love for the Buckeyes… that, too.
Ohio State needs new turf or a grass surface as soon as possible, and the Buckeyes will end their regular season with six straight noon games.
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