Former Chief of Naval Operations
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_B._Hayward
Shortly after the commencement of World War II, Hayward enlisted in the U.S. Navy V-5 aviation program and was called to active duty as a naval aviation cadet in 1943, anticipating that he would shortly be flying combat in the South Pacific. However, when roughly halfway through the flight training syllabus, he competed for and was accepted to attend the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland, to position himself for a career in the U.S. Navy at war's end.
The Korean War having begun, as a lieutenant junior grade, he reported to VF-51 and flew from the decks of the aircraft carriers USS Essex (CV-9) and USS Valley Forge (CV-45), flying 146 combat missions, and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, seven Air Medals, and two Navy Commendation Medals with Combat "V" for Valor. One of Hayward's squadron mates in VF-51 was future astronaut Neil Armstrong, who became his lifelong friend. Following his Korean tour, Hayward became a Navy test pilot, a lead instructor in the forerunner to the Navy Fighter Weapons School, also known as TOPGUN, and Commanding Officer of VF-103. He also attended the Naval War College in 1958. In 1959 he was one of the 32 finalists for NASA Astronaut Group 1, but ultimately was not selected. In 1965–66, as Commander Carrier Air Wing Ten (CW-10), Hayward flew 36 combat missions in Vietnam, flying from the deck of USS Intrepid (CV-11), receiving the Legion of Merit and three Air Medals.
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