[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 87 (Thursday, June 16, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1119]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                HONORING COLONEL JAMES ``BUSTER'' HAYDEN

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. SILVESTRE REYES

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 16, 2011

  Mr. REYES. Mr. Speaker, it is with a heavy heart that I rise today to 
share the news of a great loss to El Paso, to Texas, and to the Nation. 
My dear friend, Colonel Retired James ``Buster'' Hayden was a class of 
1945 West Point Graduate, retired Army officer with 30 years military 
service, long time area West Point Admissions Representative, and the 
Chairman of my Military Academy Advisory Board for over 15 years.
  Col. Hayden came from a long and distinguished line of West Point 
graduates. His great-grandfather was a member of the Civil War Class of 
1862, and his grandfather graduated in the Class of 1888. In the 20th 
Century, his father was in the World War I Class of 1917, and Col. 
Hayden--well known to everyone as ``Buster''--graduated with the World 
War II Class of 1945 after securing an appointment on his fourth try!
  Col. Hayden's distinguished career of 30 years included tours of duty 
with the Constabulary Force during the occupation of Germany, in an 
armored field artillery battalion during the Korean War, at the 
Pentagon, and with the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He retired as the Deputy 
Assistant Commandant of the Air Defense School in 1975. Just a year 
later, he started working with the West Point Admissions Field Force, 
beginning his long and distinguished journey of molding the next 
generation of leaders.
  With his passing, our community has lost one of the greatest 
advocates for El Paso youth wishing to serve in our Nation's Armed 
Forces. After his family, what he loved most was inspiring scores of 
young El Pasoans every year to never give up on their dreams. Since 
1976, he helped recruit talented cadets from the El Paso area and 
Southern New Mexico to West Point.
  Over the last 15 years, Col. Hayden devoted countless hours, along 
with the other members of my Academy Advisory Board for the 16th 
Congressional district, to overseeing the annual process of nominating 
El Paso's finest young men and women to our Nation's service academies.
  He influenced the lives of hundreds of service academy graduates, who 
have pursued successful careers in the military, education, business, 
and industry. In fact, Col. Hayden helped shepherd more cadets into the 
United States Military Academy at West Point than anyone in the history 
of the Academy. His efforts in our region have led to over 1,200 offers 
of admission to young men and women, resulting in no less than 622 
graduates.
  Col. Hayden never gave up on a single applicant, nominee, or 
appointee, even when he was feeling sick from the effects of cancer. 
Even near the end, his daughter found him in his office looking for 
information to reach a cadet. Once he got the phone number, he spent 30 
minutes talking to the cadet. That is how he was with ``his'' cadets as 
well as those seeking a future at our military academies. In fact, in 
one of life's great ironies, I was at an event the night he passed away 
speaking with a second lieutenant of the 1st Armored Division from Fort 
Bliss who was proud to be ``one of Hayden's soldiers.'' He told me how 
Col. Hayden had changed his life by mentoring him from prep school to 
graduation at West Point. I have heard from many soldiers I have 
visited with around the world who tell of how Col. Hayden kept in touch 
and mentored them. That was the ``Hayden way.'' He always had words of 
encouragement for our young applicants and loved to recount the story 
about the challenges he himself faced in gaining entry into West Point. 
In his own self-deprecating way, he talked to candidates about how it 
took him four tries to get in, and he urged them to never give up on 
their dream.
  During 30 years of active duty and another 35 years supporting 
Admissions and many other programs connected with West Point, Col. 
Hayden has truly espoused the motto of the United States Military 
Academy: Duty, Honor, Country.
  His love for the Academy and for our Armed Forces was unparalleled, 
and we will all miss him. It was a privilege to know Buster and to work 
with him. He leaves a great legacy and will have a lasting impact for 
many generations to come. Our Nation and our community are deeply 
indebted to him for his service and dedication to our young people.

                          ____________________