History - Maj Sayward N Hall

Knights of Columbus Major Sayward N. Hall Assembly

Rockland, Camden, Belfast, ME

The Assembly is named in honor of Sayward ("Pete") Newton Hall who was born in

Thomaston, Maine, to Sayward N. Hall, Sr., and Barbara Knight Hall on December

26, 1928.

Pete graduated from Thomaston High School in 1947 and the same month enlisted in

the Army. He served in the occupation of Korea in the Infantry, where he earned

promotion to Sergeant and subsequently took and passed the West Point entrance

examination.

During his time at West Point, Pete was known for his quiet

friendliness. He had that Maine dry humor, was even

tempered, and was a man of his word. He always knew where

he was going when he graduated. A roommate remembers

whenever academics got too tough, he would always open his

desk drawer, pull out a Blitz cloth and polish his Infantry

crossed rifles, saying he didn't need to compete for the

Engineers because he was going back to his beloved Infantry.

On Christmas leave in Maine in 1951, Cliff Landry ‘53

introduced him to Mary T. Cowhig, from Boston, Massachusetts. This was to be the

love of his all too short life.

After graduation, Pete went to Airborne School and Ranger School. In 1955 he

married Mary, and they had five children: Sayward III, Nancy, Michael, Stephen, and

Matthew.

After an assignment at Fort Carson, Pete went to Fort Rucker

for flight training. After he became qualified as a pilot, Pete

served in several units in the U. S. and overseas. In Nov 1964,

Pete took command of the 119th Aviation Company at Pleiku,

Vietnam.

It was on the night of 7 February 1965 at 0200 hours, that a

Viet Cong mortar attack hit Camp Holloway and the 119th

Aviation company. The Causalities at Camp Holloway included

eight dead and more than one hundred wounded including

Major Hall. He suffered fragmentation wounds because of the

attack. Major Pete Hall died of his wounds 73 days later, on 21

April 1965, in a hospital in the Philippines.

He was awarded the Bronze Star (Valor, OLC), Purple Heart (OLC), and Air Medal (2

OLC). He was interred at Thomaston, Maine.

Pete was survived by his widow Mary, their five children, and ten grandchildren. Mary

remembers:

"We met under the Christmas tree one memorable holiday season. Pete will always be

remembered as a kind and loyal husband. He loved his family and always felt

fortunate that he was able to be present as his five children entered the world.”

True to the West Point tradition of Duty, Honor, Country, he distinguished himself

by personally directing the relief and evacuation of men of his command, who were

wounded in the Viet Cong attack at Camp Holloway, before falling to mortar

fragments himself. He is not forgotten and will always be missed.

MILITARY DATA

Service: Army of the United States

Grade at loss: O4

Rank: Major

ID No: O70743

MOS: 1983: Aviation Unit Commander

Length Service: 12

Unit: 119TH Assault Helicopter Company, 52nd Aviation Battalion, US Army Support

Command, Republic of Vietnam, MACV

CASUALTY DATA

Incident Date: 02/07/1965

Casualty Date: 04/21/1965

Age at Loss: 36 (based on date declared

dead)

Location: Pleiku Province, South

Vietnam

Remains: Body recovered

Casualty Type: Hostile, died of wounds

Casualty Reason: Ground casualty

Casualty Detail: fragmentation wounds