Hayden Lockhart was born in 1938 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He entered the U.S. Air Force Academy in June 1957, and was commissioned a 2d Lt on June 7, 1961. Lt Lockhart completed Undergraduate Pilot Training at Webb AFB, Texas, in September 1962, and then completed F-100 Super Sabre Combat Crew Training at Luke AFB, Arizona, in July 1963. His first assignment was as an F-100 pilot with the 613th Tactical Fighter Squadron at England AFB, Louisiana, from August 1963 to November 1964, and then deployed to Da Nang AB, South Vietnam, from November 1964 until he was forced to eject over North Vietnam on March 2, 1965, just seven miles North of the DMZ. He managed to escape and evade for 10 days, but he was captured and taken as a Prisoner of War on March 12, 1965, while making his way to the DMZ, becoming the 3rd American captured in North Vietnam, and the 1st Air Force pilot captured in the North during the Vietnam War. After spending 2,905 days in captivity, Maj Lockhart was released during Operation Homecoming on February 12, 1973. He was briefly hospitalized to recover from his injuries at Travis AFB, California, and then received an Air Force Institute of Technology assignment to the University of Southern California at Los Angeles to completed his MBA degree from 1973 to 1975. He attended F-4D Phantom II transition training with the 426th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron at Luke AFB, Arizona, from 1975 to 1976. Lt Col Lockhart then served as an F-4D pilot and Operations Officer with the 8th Tactical Fighter Squadron at Holloman AFB, New Mexico, from 1976 to 1977, followed by F-15A Eagle transition training with the 58th Tactical Training Wing at Luke AFB in 1977. His next assignment was as an F-15A pilot and Operations Officer with the 8th Tactical Fighter Squadron back at Holloman AFB from 1977 to 1979. He then served as Chief of Safety with the 49th Tactical Fighter Wing at Holloman AFB from 1979 to 1980, and his final assignment was on the staff of the Air Force Inspection and Safety Center at Norton AFB, California, from February 1980 until his retirement from the Air Force on December 31, 1981.

His Silver Star Citation reads:

This officer distinguished himself by gallantry and intrepidity in action in connection with military operations against an opposing armed force while a Prisoner of War in North Vietnam. Ignoring international agreements on treatment of prisoners of war, the enemy resorted to mental and physical cruelties to obtain information, confessions and propaganda materials. This American resisted their demands by calling upon his deepest inner strengths in a manner which reflected his devotion to duty and great credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.