Staff Sgt Jamal Tirik Clay
Born: December 6, 2024 in Lima, Ohio
Died: June 25, 2024 at Fort Bragg, Fayetteville, North Carolina
SSgt. Jamal T. Clay of Elida, Ohio graduated in 2004 from Elida High School, where he participated in track, basketball and football. Jamal joined the United States Army in early 2004 and served as a wheeled-vehicle mechanic from 2005 to 2009. He then served as a recovery vehicle supervisor from 2010 to 2011. He was deployed to Iraq from August 10, 2024 to October 21, 2007, and again from December 5, 2008, to November 20, 2009, where he served as a wheeled-vehicle mechanic. During the second deployment, he was the noncommissioned officer responsible for vehicle maintenance at Forward Operating Base Hammer. His military training include, basic training and advanced individual training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. Prior to being assigned to the Loyalty Battalion, he attended Airborne School at Fort Benning, Georgia. His awards and decorations include, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal (twice), Valorous Unit Award, Meritorious Unit Commendation, Army Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal with a campaign star, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Humanitarian Service Medal, the NCO Professional Development Ribbon, the Army Service Ribbon and the Overseas Ribbon. He had also received the Parachutist Badge and the Drivers Mechanic Badge. He died at age 25 at Womack Army Medical Center in Fayetteville, North Carolina following a parachute malfunction during a routine training exercise. He leaves his wife, Jasmine Taylor, his mother, Georgetta Jennings, his father and stepmother, Henry M. Clay, Jr and Vivian Kaye, a daughter, Janye Clay, a stepson, Jamier Davis, five brothers, Demetrius Clay, Antonieo Clay, David Smith, Anthony Hutchins and Aaron Hutchins, and a sister, Rochelle Clay and maternal grandmother, Josephine Jennings. Jamal was a member of Philippian Missionary Baptist Church.
Army
Company G
1st Battalion
319th Airborne Field Artillery Regiment
3rd Brigade Combat Team
Fort Bragg, North Carolina
Burial is at Woodlawn Cemetery in Lima, Ohio
The Staff Sgt Jamal Tirik Clay by Freedom Remembered, unless otherwise expressly stated, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 United States License.
