2025 Memorial Day Program

Speaker Bio:

Tommy Clack, Captain, Retired U.S. Army

Tommy is a single parent with a 39-year-old son Adam, who is a Gwinnett County Police Officer (who is 9th Generation Army, 2004-2012, as a Ranger with 9 combat tours, in Iraq and Afghanistan ) and 37-year-old daughter Erin (married with five children and manages her own video/ photography business.)   He shoots, hunts and fishes year-round; and reads for pleasure and to stay educated and research military history and data.  He attends Connect Church in Cumming, GA, with his daughter’s family.

Tommy was born (March 1947) and raised in Decatur, GA; and was a 1965 Honor Graduate and Most Outstanding in Track and Field, from Decatur High School.  He attended the University of Houston on a Track Scholarship for one year; before leaving college in 1966 and volunteering for the Army.  He was a member of Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity while there.

Tommy spent 3+ years in the Army, attaining the rank of Captain, during his tour in Vietnam (with C/2/27 Infantry-Wolfhounds, of the 25th Division), as an Artillery FO (Forward Observer).  He was wounded on May 29, 1969, on the Cambodian border, losing three limbs, internal injuries and loss of hearing.  He retired medically from the Army as a Captain. He then spent 22 months in the Atlanta VA Medical Center, going through 33 operations. Since 5/29/69 Tommy has survived 50 inpatient surgeries and an additional 15 outpatient surgeries; and has spent 2 years, 8 months and 12 days being laid up recovering from all surgeries and rehab.

Tommy finished college in 1975, as an Honor Graduate from Georgia State University, with his B.S. in Urban Administration/City Management.

Tommy retired from gainful employment on 2/29/12 after 47+ years of military and government employment. He has worked out of D.C. with Congress, and as Staff Assistant to the Director of the Atlanta VA and for 19 years as a field manager/veterans service officer out of Conyers, GA, for the GA Dept. of Veterans’ Service. 

Tommy has traveled as a public speaker since 1970, doing over 50+ speeches a year; and has been in all 50 States and multiple foreign countries. He speaks at grammar, middle, high schools, colleges, churches, business organizations, military bases, civic/governmental meetings, public events and banquets for any occasion. He speaks on his faith in GOD, service to our Country, honorable duty in the military/Vietnam, being a volunteer and as a motivational speaker.  He does not use a speaker’s bureau and every engagement is by “word of mouth.”  He uses no written notes and speaks from 10 to 60 minutes (depending on the host’s request, the flow of the agenda and the venue) from the heart and per GOD’s gift to him. 

Tommy is a Life Member of the 5 big veterans organizations  (American Legion, AMVETS, Disabled American Veterans, Military Order of the Purple Heart, Veterans of Foreign Wars); volunteers on the National and State level with the POW/MIA Issue; volunteers with/for the NRA (as a Life/Endowment Member);  volunteers as a Life Member of the Safari Club International & the  GA SCI Chapter; served as President/COB 2011-2020 of the Walk of Heroes/Veterans War Memorial (a $2.8 million, 900’ long Memorial.); served the Georgia Jaycees 1971-1983 and as the State President 1977-78; helped found and served as State President of the Georgia Veterans Leadership Program 1983-2014; organized the Atlanta Veterans Day Parade Association in 1986 and served as its President 1987-1993; in 1972 he was appointed by Georgia Governor Jimmy Carter to the Georgia Veterans Service Board and reappointed by Governor’s Busbee, Harris and Miller to serve through 1993; from 1978-1998 organized the Atlanta Braves’ “July 4th Salute to Veterans, Military and their families;” and regularly coordinates Statewide events/programs to honor veterans/military and their families as a whole and/or specifically targeting an era.  He currently serves as Fund-raising coordinator for the GA Military Veterans Hall of Fame, and as Treasurer of Children Without Beds and volunteers with Servants Task Force.

Tommy has been involved in helping over 300+ MEMORIALS become a reality in cities, counties and states (across America) honoring veterans/military and their families.  At the Georgia State Capitol Complex is the Georgia War Veterans Memorial Plaza, with a “Memorial” to WW I, WW II, Korea, Vietnam, Persian Gulf War 1990-91 and GWOT and each lists the names of every Georgian who was KIA in their respective War; and, he (while State President of the Georgia Veterans Leadership Program) organized/raised the funds/did the research to obtain all names for each “Memorial.”  He did the same for DeKalb County, GA (his home County) for each War; and, then accomplished a “Memorial” listing every student (from Decatur High School (his school) who was KIA in each War from 1896-GWOT.  Tommy had the honor of representing Georgia with the National “Vietnam War Memorial” in D.C.; and, then served Gen. Ray Davis (from Georgia and who coordinated the National Korean War Memorial in D.C.) and then served State Commissioner Pete Wheeler (Georgia Department of Veterans Service) and Co-Chairman-with Senator Bob Dole, who coordinated the National WW II Memorial in D.C. 

Since 1970, Tommy has been recognized, over 200 times, on the city, county, state and national level; and, for his leadership and accomplishments.  Yet, his comment is, “The teams I serve make me look good and any recognition of me is recognition of a great TEAM effort and GOD grants me my abilities.”   A few of these awards are: 1970 served as Grand Marshal of the July 4th Parade in Atlanta and representing the National Vietnam War Generation; 1981 recognized as 1 of 3 Outstanding Vietnam Veterans in Georgia by the United Daughters of the Confederacy with UDC Vietnam Conflict Cross of Military Service Award #704; 1983 was selected for one of five Annual “Silver Helmet” Awards from the National AMVETS; 1987 was chosen as the Outstanding Alumni from GA State University;  1989 received the “George Washington Honor Medal” for Citizenship from the Freedom’s Foundation at Valley Forge; 1989 chosen as the Most Outstanding Disabled

American Veteran by the National Disabled Veterans of America; 1990 received the Most Outstanding Veteran in America by the Daughters of the American Revolution;  1991 Received a “Point of Light” Award from President Bush; 2001 Recognized by the Atlanta Braves/Office Depot for 1 of 6 Community Service Awards for his 30+ years volunteering with the POW/MIA Issue; 2003  received the runner-up award from the NRA’s Annual 2nd Amendment Volunteer of the Year; 2009  Inducted into the Military’s Artillery OCS Hall of Fame (from 1941-1972, 40,000+ Artillery 2nd Lieutenants were commissioned and only 1,000 have been inducted  and Tommy is 1 of 67 inductees who did not make Colonel or above or highly combat decorated); 2012 was chosen as the Volunteer of the Year by the SE Festival Association covering 11 States;  2013 Inducted as  1 of 18 in the First Class for the GA Military Veterans Hall of Fame; in 2015 was Selected as THE “PATHFINDER OF THE YEAR” by the National/International SCI (Safari Club International), for his example as a lifelong hunter, fisherman, shooter and outdoors person and continuing as a disabled person and had a ten day hunting trip in Namibia Africa; and, in 2017 was selected by the Rockdale County (GA) Chamber of Commerce for their “Barksdale Lifetime Achievement Award.”   In 2019, was chosen as “Hero of the Year,” for Georgia, by the statewide magazine HEROES and for his lifelong service to many endeavors.  In  May 2023, he presented a Wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Arlington National Cemetery.  He tells everyone his greatest recognition has been GOD granting him the opportunity to be a father to his son and daughter and now grandfather to his five grandchildren. 

Tommy’s mission as a public speaker is to help the audience gain a greater appreciation of GOD, Self, Family, Community, Country and that America is the exceptional Country among all on Earth.  He is not “politically correct,” and does not apologize for that.  Having been pronounced dead in Vietnam, GOD has allowed his path through life to serve as an example of what Faith, discipline and determination can achieve.