Death
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He was declared MIA on March 1, 1942 and was presumed dead. Hayes was officially declared dead on December 15, 1945. He died in the Indian Ocean south of Java, Aslatic when his ship the USS Pecos was bombed by enemy planes and subsequently sank. Hayes was awarded the Purple Heart. The message informing the family of Hayes status was received by P.J. Whelan, Hayes’ uncle. An official report of casualty was filed on December 27, 1945. Hayes’ had served in a branch of the US military for nine 9 years before his death.
Charles Hayes’ parents, William and Sallie were given $608.40 in Six Month Death Gratuity pay. Their pay per month was $101.40 and the payments ended on February 12, 1946.
On July 26, 1945 Mr. and Mrs. William H. Hayes wrote to the Navy inquiring for more information regarding Charles as well as life insurance. The officer in charge of causalities wrote back on August 13th informing them that there was no further information and that despite Charles having possibly completed all qualifications to move from Storekeeper third class to Storekeeper second class there are no records from his officer approving such a move.
He was declared MIA on March 1, 1942 and was presumed dead. Hayes was officially declared dead on December 15, 1945. He died in the Indian Ocean south of Java, Aslatic when his ship the USS Pecos was bombed by enemy planes and subsequently sank. Hayes was awarded the Purple Heart. The message informing the family of Hayes status was received by P.J. Whelan, Hayes’ uncle. An official report of casualty was filed on December 27, 1945. Hayes’ had served in a branch of the US military for nine 9 years before his death.
Charles Hayes’ parents, William and Sallie were given $608.40 in Six Month Death Gratuity pay. Their pay per month was $101.40 and the payments ended on February 12, 1946.
On July 26, 1945 Mr. and Mrs. William H. Hayes wrote to the Navy inquiring for more information regarding Charles as well as life insurance. The officer in charge of causalities wrote back on August 13th informing them that there was no further information and that despite Charles having possibly completed all qualifications to move from Storekeeper third class to Storekeeper second class there are no records from his officer approving such a move.
Burial
Hayes’ body was never recovered, and he was considered Missing in Action. The date that he went missing is March 1, 1942 and his official death and discharge date is December 15, 1945. A Headstone application was submitted to the US Military for Hayes in 1959, fourteen years after he was officially declared dead. The application was rejected due to the body being nonrecoverable. A memorial was put up in the Hayes cemetery in Farmhaven, MS. He was also memorialized on the Walls of the Missing, Manila American Cemetery Taguig City, Philippines.