Lt. Commander Wayne Woodrow Hayes of the United States Navy in 1944

Yes, Woody is known for his coaching, but many do not know of his military service during World War II. Woody enlisted in the United States Navy in July 1941, eventually rising to the rank of Lieutenant Commander.  He asked for active duty and served his country for five years.  Woody could have stayed at Naval Station Great Lakes outside Chicago for the whole war, but he volunteered for sea duty.

“People talk about how devoted Woody is to football,” Mrs. Hayes once observed. “He was just as dedicated to the Navy. Why, we had been married only five days when he asked for sea duty. He didn’t get it at once, but he did request it. Stevie was nearly nine months old before Woody saw him for the first time.”

In 1946, he was honorably discharged as a lieutenant commander, having commanded the PC 1251 in the Palau Island invasion and having served on the destroyer escort Rinehart in both the Atlantic and Pacific operations.

Throughout his coaching career, military icons, in fact, played a large part in the manner in which his teams operated, down to running plays being named “Patton” for General George Patton. Former Ohio State All-American fullback Pete Johnson remarked, “Patton #1 through #6—those were all my plays.”

Woody commanded USS Ukiah (PCC-1251) a  Control Submarine Chaser and saw combat in the Palau Island invasion.

Woody also commanded the destroyer-escort USS Rinehart in both Atlantic and Pacific operations, with a crew of 15 officers and 201 enlisted.

Woody Hayes (on right facing camera) taking command of the USS Rinehart from Captain Engle during World War II, ca. 1943. Hayes enlisted in the United States Navy in July 1941, and obtained the rank of Lieutenant Commander during World War II. He commanded PC 1251 in the Palau Islands invasion and the destroyer-escort USS Rinehart in both the Atlantic and Pacific operations. Born Wayne Woodrow “Woody” Hayes in Clifton, Ohio, in 1913.

Woody Hayes with a group of fellow officers on board the USS Rinehart during World War II, ca. 1943. Hayes enlisted in the United States Navy in July 1941, and obtained the rank of Lieutenant Commander during World War II. He commanded PC 1251 in the Palau Islands invasion and the destroyer-escort USS Rinehart in both the Atlantic and Pacific operations.

Woody Hayes playfully trying to move an anchor on the deck of the USS Rinehart, a ship he commanded during his service with the United States Navy in World War II, ca. 1943.

Great video of Woody from a BBC Documentary and you can see his military background was an influence on his coaching and life.

WOODY VISITED THE TROOPS IN VIETNAM 4 TIMES!

During the Vietnam War, he made four trips overseas to visit with and entertain deployed servicemen and women.

 Hayes is pictured with Col. David E. Ott, an expert on field artillery tactics in Vietnam.

Hayes in Vietnam, 1967

 Hayes made four separate trips to Vietnam during the war to support and entertain the U.S. troops.

Hayes in Vietnam, 1967

Wayne Woodrow “Woody” Hayes A legendary college football coach, Woody served as the head coach at his Alma Mater, Denison University for three seasons (1946–1948), and at Miami (Ohio) University (1949–1950), before joining The Ohio State University in 1951 where, for 28 seasons, he led the Buckeyes to three national championships, 13 Big Ten Conference titles, 8 Rose Bowl appearances, and a record 205 wins, 61 losses and 10 ties. Over his full coaching career, Woody amassed a record 238 wins, 72 losses and 10 ties.

NOTE:  Information about and specific comments made by Woody Hayes and others were drawn from the following sources: Woody Hayes: The Man & His Dynasty, edited by Mike Bynum; I Remember Woody: Recollections of The Man They Called Coach Hayes, by Steve Greenberg and Dale Ratermann; and Woody Hayes and the 100-Yard War by Jerry Brondfield; and The Ohio State University Library.

Several prominent individuals and couples have been honored by being allowed to dot the “i”. This is considered the greatest honor the band can give to any non-band person, and is an extremely special (and rare) event.  Script Ohio is scribed by 225 band members, but only one person can claim the honor of dotting the “i” in Ohio.  Now, it should be noted, the fourth or fifth year Sousaphone player selected to dot the “i” for that specific game must give up their spot in order for an honorary member to dot the “i”.

Honorary “i”-dotters with the OSU Marching Band:

OSU President (1956-72) Novice Fawcett and his wife, 1971 (which game unknown , if you know, email me)

Comedian Bob Hope, 21 Oct 1978, Ohio State vs Iowa, Won 31-7 (Bob grew up in Cleveland, Ohio)

Coach Woody Hayes,  29 Oct 1983, Ohio State vs Wisconsin, Won 45-27

Retired OSU Ticket Director Robert Ries, 14 Sep 1985, Ohio State vs Pittsburg, Won 10-7

World Heavyweight Champion James “Buster” Douglas, 29 Sep 1990, Loss Ohio State vs USC 26-35 (born and raised in Columbus, earlier in 1990, he knocked out Mike Tyson in Toyko, Japan)

OSU President Gordon Gee, his wife Constance, 16 Sep 1995, OSU vs Washington, Won 30-20

NOTE: Dotted the “i” with the OSU Alumni Band during quadruple Script Ohio

All thirteen seniors of the 2002-2003 National Championship Football team

NOTE: Dotted the “i” at the National Championship celebration on 19 Jan 2002 in Ohio Stadium

Golfer Jack Nicklaus, 28 Oct 2006, OSU vs Minnesota, Won 44-0 (widely considered the greatest golfer, Jack was born and raised in Columbus and is an OSU Alumni)

Senator John Glenn and his wife Annie, 5 Sep 2009, OSU vs Navy, Won 31-27 (retired USMC Colonel and astronaut who became the first American to orbit the Earth, born and raised in Ohio)

CEO of The Limited Brands Leslie Wexner, 3 Sep 2011, OSU vs Akron, Won 42-0 (born in Dayton, Ohio and OSU Alumni)

OSU Band Director (1973-2011) , Dr. Jon Woods, 19 Nov 2011, OSU vs Penn State, Loss 14-20

Ann Droste, wife of retired director and former OSUMB member Dr. Paul Droste OSU Retired band director (1970-83), year maybe 1982 (which game unknown, if you know, email me)

NOTE:  Some accounts say OSU Retired band directors (1970-83) Dr. Paul Droste and Jack Evans, their wives 1982 (anyone with definitive information, please share)

Composer for OSU Marching Band Richard “Dick” Heine (date unknown).  Mr. Heine arranged most of the Ohio State school songs (Buckeye Battle Cry, Fight The Team Across The Field, I Want To Go Back To Ohio State, Chimes & Carmen Ohio, Beautiful Ohio, Le Regiment, and others) and those arrangements are still in use by the band today.  Four decades with the OSU Marching Band, he started as a talented clarinetist.  But it is his association with the OSU Marching Band, culminating in the 1978 album “Hats Off To Heine”

• 24 Oct 1936: Under the direction of Eugene Weigel, the Ohio State University marching band first performs Script Ohio at halftime of the Ohio State versus University of Indiana football game.  John Brungart, a trumpet player, dots the “i.”

• 23 Oct 1937: Script features a sousaphone “i” dotter for the first time — a tradition that remains.

• 24 Sep 1966: The first double Script is performed.

• 11 Sep 1971: The first triple Script is performed.

• 10 Sep 1977: The first quadruple Script is performed.

• 8 Sep 1979: Six years after women were admitted to the band, Jan Duga becomes the first woman to dot the “i.”

• 29 Oct 1983: Former OSU football coach Woody Hayes dots the “i.”

• 20 Sep 1986: Brungart, 70, returns to dot the “i” for Script’s 50th anniversary.

• 3 Sep 2011: The band performs its largest Script — a quad Script featuring 768 marchers (three-fourths of whom are band alumni).

• 29 Oct 2011: At halftime of the OSU game against Wisconsin, four members of the 1936 band — plus Weigel’s daughter — were honored as part of Script Ohio’s 75th Anniversary.

The-Top-10-College-Football-Traditions

Script Ohio was first performed by The Ohio State Marching Band on October 24, 1936 at the Ohio State versus University of Indiana football game (see photo of the actual formation). The Script Ohio is the most identifiable trademark associated with Ohio State Football and The Ohio State University Marching Band.  It was devised by band director Eugene J. Weigel, who based the looped “Ohio” script design on the marquee sign of the Loew’s Ohio Theatre in downtown Columbus.

At its first performance, the Script Ohio’s “i” was dotted by a trumpet player, with no special attention or honor being given to the movement. When the trumpet player, John Brungart (1933-36), dotted the first Script Ohio “i” October 24, 1936, the march from the top of the “o” to the top of the “i” was just another movement to complete a formation.  During a field rehearsal in the fall of 1937, Weigel had a spur-of-the-moment idea, and shouted to Glen R. Johnson, a sousaphone player, “Hey, you! Switch places with the trumpet player in the dot.” After several run-throughs with the exchanged positions, the script was ready to be performed.  At the game on October 23, 1937, the marching band, led by drum major Wesley Leas, performed with Script Ohio with Johnson dotting the “i”.  Johnson was in the band from 1937-40, and during all of those years he dotted the “i”.  From that time forward, the i-dot became the province of the big horns.

The script is an integrated series of evolutions and formations. The band first forms a triple Block O formation, then slowly unwinds to form the famous letters while playing Robert Planquette’s Le régiment de Sambre et Meuse.  The drum major leads the outside O into a peel-off movement around the curves of the script, every musician in continual motion. Slowly the three blocks unfold into a long singular line which loops around, creating the OSUMB’s trademark “Ohio”.

The familiar kick, turn, and bow by the sousaphone player at the top of the “i” was an innovation introduced by Johnson at a game in 1938. “(The turn) was an impulse reaction when drum major Myron McKelvey arrived three or four measures too soon at the top of the “i”,” Johnson explained, “so I did a big kick, a turn, and a deep bow to use up the music before Buckeye Battle Cry.  The crowd roared when this happened, and it became part of the show thereafter.”

Today, toward the end of the formation, drum major and the “i”-dotter high-five each other.  Then with 16 measures to go in the song, they strut to the top of the “i”.  When they arrive, the drum major points to the spot, and the “i”-dotter turns and bows deeply to both sides of the stadium.

Each time the formation drill is performed, a different fourth or fifth-year sousaphone player has the privilege of standing as the dot in the “i” of “Ohio.”  The first sousaphone player to have the honor of dotting the “i” was a fourth year student from Delaware, OH, William Coulter.  The dotting of the “i” was ranked the greatest college football tradition by Athlon Sports.  Since then, a sousaphone player has dotted the “i” over 800 times.

In the end, there were three students selected to deliver speeches at graduation:

Edgar LaBenne, Michele Anderson and John Nussbaum.

Here is my speech I wrote and delivered at my high school graduation on the evening of 3 June 1983:  

Graduates, Family, Friends and Faculty.  Tonight marks the end of a phase of time in our lives that will be in our memory forever.  But tonight is not just an end, but a beginning.  Soon we are to be in sole charge of our destiny.  These really awesome responsibilities come early in our life and our preparation is rushed.

In an age of high technology, people can now expect ongoing changes in details and structure of information.  The mark of an educated person will no longer be how much he knows or the diplomas on his wall, rather it will be his ability to continue to learn the new material quickly and thoroughly.

Our education at Mount Vernon will serve as a good foundation for our life’s ambitions.  But we must not stop here.  We must, build upon our foundation and  reinforce our skills and talents.

On our trail in life we need to set goals, have enthusiasm, and confidence.

Goals are essential in life yet many fail to see their importance.  Establishing  goals can be easy. it involves analyzing three things:  objectives, alternatives and results.  Goals must be definite and specific, never vague.  Know what you want and keep it constantly in your mind.  It is extremely important for goals to be realistic too.  Goals can be achieved only if they lie within your potential. Know your capabilities but don’t underestimate them.  You also need to be able to overcome setbacks which can develop at anytime.  Adapt and learn from your mistakes.  When you’re working goals you need persistence, hard work and enthusiasm.

YES ENTHUSIASM!  Many people feel they can’t produce enthusiasm.  If so, they need to use the “as if” principle. This is done by acting as if you are bursting with enthusiasm.  After a period of time this attitude will become imbedded in your mind and it will no longer be necessary to act.  Enthusiasm can make the difference between success and failure.  Charles Schwab said, “One can succeed at almost anything for which he has unlimited enthusiasm.“  Enthusiasm is contagious like the measles and mumps- but it’s good for you.  Enthusiasm can produce faith and faith stimulates action!  The lack of self-confidence seems to be one of the greatest problems affecting people today.  Everywhere we go we encounter people who are afraid, who suffer from insecurity and are unsure of their own powers.

If you want to obtain the feeling of confidence the thoughts that are in your mind are important.  Think defeat and you are bound to feel defeated.  But if your thoughts are positive and consistent, your ability to overcome difficulties are within you.

Ralph Emerson once stated “They conquer who believe they can.”, and he added “Do the thing you fear and the death of fear is certain.”

The recipe for a successful life lies in establishing realistic goals and maintaining a constant flow of enthusiasm, but the most important ingredient of all is to believe in yourself and your God.

Many of us have been admitted into college or planning to be employed, these opportunities are not given to us only because of what we have done, but for what we are expected to do!

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