First Ghanaian Air Force commander's sword presented to museum

Kumasi, Aug 3, GNA - The sword of Air commodore John Ebenezer De-Graft Hayford, the first Ghanaian Air force commander, was on Tuesday presented to the Military Museum in Kumasi. Christopher De-Graft Hayford, whom his father bequeathed the sword to, donated it to the Ghana Air force to be kept at the military museum as part of its memorabilia.

Speaking at the presentation ceremony, Air Vice-Marshall E.A. Mante, Chief of Air Staff, described the late Air Commodore De-Graft Hayford as "someone whose works spanned a whole gamut of discipline to achieve the ultimate position in the Ghana Air Force". The late Hayford, he said, lived and rendered valuable services to Ghana and humanity and that it was in recognition of this that the Air Force organised a memorial service in his honour in Accra.

Air Vice-Marshall Mante said the sword and other documents would remind ''us of what went on before us and subsequently learn and draw lessons from them. Whether we make a good impact or play a distasteful role in our time is left to us the living". Brigadier-General George Ayiku, General Officer Commanding the Northern Command, who received the sword, said that artefacts at the museum served important historical purposes. He expressed appreciation to the children of the late Commodore Hayford for their foresight, innovation and vision for giving out the sword and other documents on their father.

Brigadier-General Ayiku, however, appealed to the children and family of the late Commodore to bring his uniform and shoes to be displayed at the museum. Major Maxwell Ohene Tweneboa-Kodua (rtd), curator of the Museum, later led the officers, children of the late Air Commodore Hayford and the guests to inspect the artefacts at the museum.