Hayden was born in
Florence, Texas, and enlisted in the Navy in October 1917. He received training in
San Diego Naval Base, California, and
Quantico, Virginia. During the war, he was attached to the
2/6th Marines as a Hospital Apprentice First Class. The
Marine outfit saw action in France at the
Battle of Saint-Mihiel, during which Hayden ran through heavy enemy fire to administer aid to a wounded Marine, Corporal Creed. For this action, he was awarded the Medal of Honor. After the war, Hayden was promoted to
Pharmacist's Mate Third Class. He served aboard the troop transport
Princess Matoika until the summer of 1920. He served as a
deputy United States marshal in California from 1934 to 1966. David E Hayden died on March 18, 1974, and He was buried at
Arlington National Cemetery,
Arlington, Virginia. ==Medal of Honor citation==