I had the privilege of meeting General Hays shortly after she was promoted to general officer. She came to visit Fort Gordon to tour the hospital and the post’s medical dispensaries (the army was eager to show off it’s new female general). I was detailed as her driver, and drove her all over the post, including to a big reception at the officer’s club. In chatting with the general as we motored around the fort, she apparently picked up on the fact that I lived off base with my wife, and that we endured the typical junior enlisted couple’s diet of hot dogs and beans (I had a good lunch every weekday at the hospital cafeteria, but the military separate rations allowance never went far for all the other meals for me and my new bride).
After the conclusion of the reception at the officer’s club, during which I and several other drivers cooled our heels outside, General Hays and the post commanding general came out together, followed by the post commander’s aide struggling with a huge tray of leftovers from the reception: shaved ham, turkey, sliced and cubed cheeses, bread, and other fancy fixings. General Hays insisted that I take the goodies back to my off-base housing, to be enjoyed by the missus & myself - which I gratefully did.
My wife and I still remember with pleasure, eating like kings with the bounty that General Hays thought to provide us. I think it lasted us the better part of a month.
RIP, General Hays, and thank you for your service.
That’s a great story! Nice to read a personal account to go along with the article. Thanks for sharing.
As awesome as her page on Wikipedia is, your story says much more about the person.
Thank you for sharing.
What a great story!
Thank you from an old nurse for posting that story!
Mrs AV