Webb Hayes - Military Service

Military Service

He also served in the military. He was a member of the First Cleveland Troop, later known as Troop A of the Ohio National Guard. During the Spanish American War, he was appointed a major in the First Ohio Cavalry. He fought in Santiago de Cuba Campaign, during which he was wounded during the crossing of the San Juan River and the assault on San Juan Hill, and later in the invasion of Puerto Rico.

Following this, he was promoted to lieutenant colonel and sent to the Philippines. Just hours after landing there, he led a rescue party to free captured men at Vigan Island. He received the Medal of Honor for this action. He went on to participate in the China Relief Expedition during the Boxer Rebellion and as an observer in the Russo-Japanese War.

During World War I, Hayes was promoted to colonel and first served as a special agent for the State Department in France and later held an administrative assignment on the Italian front. After the war he was promoted to brigadier general