Mates, family honour Goulburn soldier James Hayes 50 years on | PHOTOS

But the sight of an Australian Army official and priest appearing on her front step to tell her of James Hayes’ death stays with her to this day.

“It was just terrible,” she told The Goulburn Post of that August 7, 1967 day.

Six months earlier she had asked her brother not to return to his second tour of duty. But the “professional soldier,” who had joined the Australian Army in 1961, was committed to his task.

Mrs Kennett had listed herself as the next of kin out of regard to her father, who had lost his wife in late 1966.

Memories of the day of his death and of a loved brother to four siblings came flooding back on Sunday. Seven men who served with James either before or during the war initiated a special ceremony, assisted by the Goulburn RSL Sub Branch, at the Belmore Park honour roll. Mayor Bob Kirk also attended.

The veterans who travelled from around NSW, South Australia, Queensland and Tasmania included Sam Giacomantonio, Jack Ezzy, Jack Lake, Keith Truin, Bill Charlton, Colin Stoy and Keith Truin.

“You might wonder why a group of ex-diggers made this journey,” Mr Charlton told a 50-strong crowd on Sunday.

“Two words – mateship and respect.”

He described James and the late John Connor, both killed in the Battle of Suoi Chau Pha on August 6, 1967 as two very special mates.

They were both attached to A Company of the 7^th Royal Australian Regiment when they were taking part in Operation Ballarat, north-west of Nui Dat in Phuoc Tuy province. Corporal Hayes, who commanded his section, was patrolling forward when the Company was caught unaware by the Viet Cong. The “classic encounter” that followed pitched forces of equal size against each other but the Australians emerged victorious.

But it was not without loss. Six Australians were killed, including ‘Jimmy’ Hayes, and 19 wounded. James’s brother Terry said James, a signalman, was initially shot in the leg and managed to drag himself back to safety when the Viet Cong swept the ground with machine gun fire. He was one of the first Goulburn men to be killed in the Vietnam War, leaving a bereft family and community.

Ten days later he was given a full military funeral at Saints Peter and Paul’s Cathedral.

“The cathedral was crammed,” Mrs Kennett said.

“It was a terribly hard day. They sent a busload of Army men as a guard of honour. It was a heavy, heavy day and awful for our father, who’d only just lost Mum. Dad was 70 when Jim died and it knocked the hell out him.”

James was buried at Goulburn’s Saint Patrick Cemetery.

Three weeks earlier, Mrs Kennett had given birth to the youngest of her five children, who she named Jim.

James Hayes’ best mate, Hobart man Bill Charlton also named his son after him.

“He was a fun-loving guy, very mischievous and we had some great times together,” Mr Charlton said.

He left the Army before the Vietnam War but served with James in the 3^rd RAR in the early 1960s.

Terry Hayes also recalled a brother full of life and fun, who loved a joke and had a habit of “finding mischief.” 

The family was raised by parents Edgar and Eileen Hayes on Middle Arm property, ‘Hillwood.’

James was “a character” and small for his age, so much so that an uncle once joked to him that he should put some fertiliser in his shoes to make him grow.

Without so much as a word to the family, the young James did exactly that up in the shed, Terry said. He didn’t grow much but he did burn his skin.

On another occasion, aged less than five, he told a neighbour who reprimanded him over a misdemeanour: “Listen here, Mrs Miller, Jimmy Hayes’s don’t grow on trees, you know.”

Terry told of many escapades on the farm, some of them dangerous but always funny.

James was educated at Inveralochy Agricultural College near Lake Bathurst and afterwards spent five years back on the farm before joining the Army. He had bought his first gun at age 10 from Reg Mayo’s shop and was destined to join up.

Mr Hayes said his brother loved Army life and cherished the friendships he made.

His death at age 27 was a huge loss.

“But our loss is no different to hundreds of other families who lose a loved one. No one expected such a tragedy but our family ethos is to accept the highs of life with graciousness and the lows with vigour and determination,” he said. 

Mr Hayes said the family took comfort that James joined up of his own free will and that his mates paid him a mark of such high respect on Sunday.

“I’d pose the question – how many of us, after being dead for 50 years, would have men come from every part of Australia to pay tribute...That tells you they are very loyal friends,” Mr Hayes told The Post.

“...We take comfort that he joined (the Army) of his own free will and enjoyed what he was doing. He was very proud of Australia and had great confidence in his training and equipment.”

Today he would have had 12 nieces and nephews, 27 great nieces and nephews, two great-great nephews and one great-great niece.

Mr Hayes said James’s advice to his large surviving family would have been ‘Don’t worry, she’ll be apples.’

“And if he’d been walking down Market Street today and saw this happening he’d say ‘well, ain’t that just the ducks guts!’” Mr Hayes said.