Jason Scott Clairday
Fallen Hero’s Hometown and State: Salem, AR
Branch of Service: U.S. Marine Corps
Rank: Corporal
Corporal Jason Scott Clairday joined the Marine Corps following the attacks of 9/11. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, as a Fire Team Leader, when he and five other Marines were killed as the result of enemy fire in Fallujah, Iraq.
Jason will always be remember as a devout and caring man who approached life enthusiastically. He loved fishing and hunting, played baseball in high school, and sang in the youth choir at his church. “He thought more of others and their needs than he did himself,” his pastor recalled.
Through his outstanding display of decisive leadership, unlimited courage in the face of heavy enemy fire, and utmost devotion to duty, Corporal Clairday reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Navy. He was awarded the Navy Cross (posthumously).
Age: 21
Date of Death: December 12, 2004