Remembering Clay

Amy asked me a few weeks ago if I wanted to write something on the blog about Clay. I said that I would, but as the past few weeks have gone by, I have tried to get started yet haven’t been able to spit out the correct words. Here goes nothing and it doesn’t even begin to do justice to what the world has lost in Clay.

For those that don’t know, Clay is our step-brother who took his own life on March 30. While many equate suicide with a troubled person, Clay was hardly that. The more I think about Clay the more I think about him as a hero, solider, humanitarian, and fighter…the list can go on.

I have learned several things through the passing of Clay, but the one that that I keep coming back to is that I am a selfish person. In a world that is so consumed with big houses, money, cars, toys, etc… Clay just got it. He spent two tours in the war against terror in both Afghanistan and Iraq. He wanted the world to be a better place and he was determined to fight for that, so much so that he was on the front line.  While many of his fellow brothers died in war he was pressing on to make a difference. Clay took a bullet to his wrist, which narrowly missed his head. While many would say enough is enough, Clay moved on and spent another deployment fighting for freedom.  While I want a bigger house, Clay wanted his fellow countrymen to never be threatened.  I did not realize how much the war Clay was fighting haunted him every day. Clay struggled with PTSD that ultimately he couldn’t get past.

Clay the humanitarian was a guy that helped found an organization called Team Rubicon. http://teamrubiconusa.org/  Team Rubicon is an amazing organization that is a first responder to disaster around the globe. Clay would talk to me about this saying that being a part of Team Rubicon was where he wanted to be and how he felt he could make a difference through saving lives. Clay spent time in both Chile and Haiti after the devastation that these countries faced from natural disasters. He loved being there and trying to put a smile on the face of those that had nothing. Once again, Clay got it.

Clay the fighter was heavily involved in an organization called Ride2Recovery. http://www.ride2recovery.com/  Ride2Recovery’s sole goal is to assist our wounded vets in recovery both mentally and physically. Clay was a poster boy for this organization as everyone looked at him as a symbol of someone who was beating the odds. He appeared in public messages for this organization and was active on many of their rides. He found this as an outlet and understood what these wounded vets were facing as they returned from deployment all around the world. Clay lived the battle that he felt so passionately about. Clay got it.

Clay’s death came as a surprise to me and to everyone who knew him, but his legacy will forever live on through his family, friends, and through these amazing organizations. If you google “Clay Hunt”, articles will pop up on CNN, MSNBC, CBS – he was making and continues to make a difference. I challenge all who read this blog to think about contributing to these organizations as a way to show appreciation for the many that choose to live their lives for others. Another challenge is this – when you see someone who has defending our freedom, go up and thank them for their service. This is a personal goal of mine.  It may be too late for me to thank Clay here on this earth, but I promise to be thankful for those that have served or who are serving from this day forward. I am so thankful that we have people like Clay and the other marines and servicemen who are defending our country. Forget Lebron James, these are modern day heroes.

The amazing part about the funeral was that people from all over the country came and everyone had a Clay Hunt story to tell about how he touched his or her life. That’s who Clay was, he changed lives.

Thank you, Clay, and we love you.

David & Amy

Clay Hunt

April 18 1982  – March 30, 2011