Clack, Tommy

Tommy Clack was born March 9, 1947, and was raised in Decatur, Georgia.  His parents were members of the “Greatest Generation”, and both served their country in World War Two.  Tommy 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 and volunteering for the Army.  After basic training and a stint at Fort Sill, Tommy went to the jungle warfare training school in Panama, and then over to Vietnam in 1967.  Tommy spent 3+ years in the Army, attaining the rank of Captain.  In Vietnam he served with the C/2/27 Infantry-Wolfhounds (of the 25th Division), and as an Artillery FO (Forward Observer).  He was wounded on May 29, 1969 on the Cambodian border, losing three limbs, as well as sustaining internal injuries and hearing loss. He then spent 22 months in the Atlanta VA Medical Center, going through 33 operations. Since 1969 Tommy has survived 50 inpatient surgeries and an additional 15 outpatient surgeries, and has spent 2 years, 6 months and 12 days being laid up recovering from all surgeries.  Tommy finished college in 1975, as an Honor Graduate from Georgia State University, with his B.S. in Urban Administration/City Management.  Tommy retired in 2012 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 then 19 years as a field manager/veterans service officer out of Conyers, GA, for the GA Dept. of Veterans Service.  Crestwood students were fortunate to meet Tommy over zoom in May 2021, and we thank Veterans’ Breakfast Club and Pete Mecca for the introduction.