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Forty years have passed since our classmate, "Clay," then 25 years of age, was reported missing in action. The Mohawk airplane that he was piloting failed to return from its mission over enemy territory in VietNam on 10 Jan 1963. It would be over ten agonizing months from that day, 22 Nov 1963, that Clay’s plane could be discovered in the mountainous jungles near Cambodia.</p>
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On a frigid morning, 2 Jan 1964, Clay was buried near the Memorial Amphitheater at Arlington National Cemetery. A uniform white marker places him among the nation’s heroes. The names engraved on each marker speak of the profoundly unique loss each one represents and simply and elegandy echo the motto "Duty, Honor, Country." On that icy day, a humble group of immediate mourners said for all of us, "Well done, Clay. Be thou at peace."</p>
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<em>Clayton Allen Fannin </em>stirs many different memories in those who knew and loved him. To Jake and Mary Ellen Fannin, he was their firstborn child. To his sister, Mary Jo, born a year later, he was her playful big brother. At an early age, Clay began to exhibit his serious nature, his competitive spirit and his intense resolve for accomplishment that would become his most outstanding attributes as a cadet and as an officer. His childhood activities, his membership in the California Cadet Corps in high school, and his competitive appointment to West Point were elements of a long tradition of involvement in school, church, and military service so valued by his family.</p>
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He began to develop leadership in the 4-H Club where he organized a demonstration team that showed how to properly kill, pluck and dress a chicken and won second place in statewide 4-H competition. (This skill surely must have paid handsome dividends to hungry Ranger School classmates.) In addition, Clay was an active member of the youth fellowship of his church and was elected its president. He was proud of the changes he instituted to improve the organization. This experience began a theme of visible, continuous religious activity that remained a significant aspect of his life as a cadet and as an officer.</p>
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At the age of 14, Clay joined the International De Molay Order for Boys and made rapid progress up through the organizational chairs. Clay was installed as master councilor before he finished high school. While on leave in 1961, he was awarded the Chevalier Degree, the highest award bestowed on a De Molay member and only awarded in recognition of outstanding service.</p>
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Clay’s credo always was to do his best, and he brought a high standard of excellence to West Point. He always was a wonderful friend and roommate, but he seemed to function at a level above us in many ways. We called him "The Bishop," and the three of us laughed. Sincere, soft-spoken, and, with his usually dry wit, he quickly won the respect and friendship of his companymates.</p>
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Clay was at home in every situation. He taught Sunday school for all of his years as a cadet and was selected to be its superintendent. He was a key member of the Hop Committee for four years, and his work on our Ring Dance was a highlight for him and for us. He also found time to compete on the rifle team for several years. Academics were not a burden for Clay, so he helped others to remain in a state of academic grace. But, mosdy, we remember somber serious discussions where we solved most of the world’s problems—many times over!</p>
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Every day in every way, Clay set about his task of preparing for the next step in his life. On Graduation Day, 3 Jun 1959, Clay was commissioned in the Infantry. He went to Ft. Benning for the Basic Course as well as Ranger School and Airborne School. Thirty-eight years later, Clay would be honored by the Class of ’59 at a moving special ceremony, arranged by classmates William Luther and William Schwartz, at the unveiling of a memorial at Ft. Benning in honor of deceased classmates who were Rangers.</p>
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In 1960, Clay reported to Ft. Rucker for ten months of flight training to qualify as an Army fixed wing aviator. He was assigned to Ft. Lewis in Washington State where he soon found a soul mate in Rosalyn Foster, who was then a student at Pacific Lutheran University. In April 1961, Clay returned to Ft. Rucker for transition training in the new twin engine Mohawk, a medium reconnaissance aircraft. He was one of the first Army aviators to become qualified to fly it.</p>
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In September 1961, Clay and Rosalyn were married at the Pacific Lutheran University’s Tower Chapel in the first full military wedding ever celebrated there. So started another, and the happiest, phase of his life. In his own words we read: "She has made me happier than I ever thought possible." After a year and a few letters from someplace on Cloud 9, Clay announced the birth of his daughter Rosemary Anne, a daughter Clay would never meet.</p>
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In June 1962, Clay was selected to participate in testing armed fixed wing aircraft. A new unit employing the Mohawk was formed in July and departed for VietNam in September as the 23rd Special Aviation Warfare Detachment. When not flying, Clay was involved in meeting the spiritual and practical needs of Vietnamese orphans. He taught English at the missionary school and helped raise funds for the Christian Children’s Orphanage at Nha Trang.</p>
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Clay’s life was memorialized when his name was etched on the monument in Sacramento honoring the men and women from California, his home state, who lost their lives in VietNam. His name also is listed on the monument in Olympia, WA, where he made his first home. Clay was Washington State’s first MIA and casualty of the VietNam War. Years later his name would be etched on the Viet Nam Memorial in Washington, DC. His name is number 16 on "The Wall," where all the names of those whose lives were lost are enscribed.</p>
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It is important that Clay has been memorialized on so many monuments to preserve the significance of his life which he gave for his country; but it is more important that his memory is engraved in the hearts of those who have known him and loved him for most, if not all, of our lives. Not a day has passed, nor will one pass for so long as we shall live, that we will not remember him and miss him.</p>
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We have been given 40 years to reflect on the brief life that we shared with him. We kept watch and hoped in vain that he would return to us. We have wished that he could have known his daughter and she him. We have wished that he could have known his grandson who bears his likeness and who loves airplanes. We have missed him as son, brother, relative, friend, roommate, and husband. We would have liked to have solved the world’s problems with him one more time.</p>
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<em>His roommates Rich Clark and Stan Delikat</em></p>