TBS 2-67 Cruisebook_Updated_7Jan23

Second Platoon
William Gordon Hayter
(Our TBS Classmate Bill Hayter passed away several
days before he was to attend our reunion in Quantico.
Semper Fidelis, Marine!)
Nickname: Bill
My Life Before Attending TBS: I was born July 31, 1943
in Long Beach, CA. I attended Woodrow Wilson High
School, where I played basketball, baseball and golf. I
worked at Buffums’ Dept. Store, and at Douglas Aircraft
Company in Long Beach during college. I began at UC
Berkeley, where all lower division males were required
to take 2 years of military science. I was assigned to the
Army ROTC program. However, in that all of my family
had been former Marines, I signed up for the PLC
program at the end of my freshman year, and attended
2 6-week summer sessions at Quantico (Camp Upshur)
during college. In my junior year, I transferred to the
University of Southern California (USC), where I
completed my Accounting degree in Business
Administration in July, 1966, and immediately left for
TBS. My two uncles were Marine Corps Aviators during
WWII. I was given the name of my uncle lost on a
nighttime training mission off Guadalcanal shortly
before I was born. My dad, with 2 young sons, was
stationed at El Toro MCAS during the war. My only
brother, Dr. George Morris Hayter, USN Medical
Doctor, (now deceased) served as a Navy Doctor
(psychiatrist) stationed at Pensacola, FL NAS during
Vietnam, training Marine and Naval pilots before
deployment overseas.
My Memories of TBS: My roommate at TBS was Andy
Haglage. I typically drove into DC on week-ends, got a
room, had a good meal, made some calls home, and got
some rest. I was single and remember enjoying the
TGIF functions in DC, and dating the girls at Mary
Washington in Fredericksburg. Capt. Brickley was my
Platoon Leader. I still have my sword, but have not had
it engraved.
TBS Graduation: 0802 (2nd choice)
After Completing TBS: I was ordered to attend
Artillery School at Ft. Sill, Oklahoma. Then, following a
brief leave, departed for Vietnam.
Vietnam Era Service: I entered Country in May, 1967,
and was assigned to serve as a Forward Observer for an
infantry platoon stationed on Go Noi island outside of
Hoi An, south of Da Nang. I served as an F.O. until
October, 1967, when I was assigned as a Fire Direction
Officer (F.D.O.) of Bravo Battery, 1/11, which was
stationed out near the Rock Pile (Ed note: Rock
Crusher), west of Hue. On February 7, 1968, 7 days into
the Tet Offensive, while serving as XO of the battery, I
joined in a convoy of some 30 vehicles, riding in the
right front seat of a Jeep, driven by a LCPL, and the “B”
Battery 1st Sgt. riding in the back. The publication
“The Road to the Graveyard” describes in detail what
we encountered that afternoon. In summary, we lost
nearly 20 Marines, with over 40 of us wounded, out of
90 or more personnel in the convoy. As the driver was
instantly killed, I rolled out of the Jeep, sprayed out the
remaining rounds from his rifle, expended my .45
rounds, and then pulled out my k-bar, and resigned
myself to the the fact that unless I could stick the
onrushing NVA, that I would be executed.
2‐42