[1] Hays was born on August 19, 1928, and raised in Urania, Louisiana,[2] a sawmill town that was owned "lock, stock, and barrel" by the Q.T.

There, Mr. Hardtner took notice and succeeded in gaining a United States Naval Academy congressional appointment for "Happy."

Hays graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1950 and served on a destroyer for one year prior to commencing flight training.

Between 1969 and 1988 Hays' career path was divided between fleet aviation assignments and resource management positions in the Pentagon.

He retired from military service in October 1988 and entered the commercial world as a director on several boards, including civic and non-profit organizations.