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<em>Clair Hall Thurston Jr., </em>was born on 20 June 1943 at Lampasas, Texas, the only child of Clair H. and Agnes M. Thurston of Knox, Maine. Raised in an Army family, Clair attended public schools in many sections of the country: Texas, Virginia, New York, Georgia, and Pennsylvania—and he excelled scholastically in all of them. He was also a fine athlete, and he devoted much of his spare time to physical improvement. He graduated at the top of his class from the American High School in Heidelberg, Germany, in 1960, receiving the Bausch and Lomb award for scientific excellence and the Heidelberg American Woman’s Club award for outstanding achievement.</p>
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Since his earliest childhood Clair had been determined to follow a military career, so it came as no surprise when he turned down several scholarships to civilian colleges in favor of an appointment to the Military Academy by Senator Margaret Chase Smith. He had also won a Presidential appointment that same year.</p>
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Clair’s cadet days were marked by outstanding scholastic achievement, dedication to duty, and love of country. Graduating 22nd in a class of 565, Clair won the General Pershing award for ranking first in his Class in Tactics and the American Bar Association award for ranking first in Law. He also established an excellent record as a member of the Academy’s rugby team.</p>
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Standing as high as he did in order of merit at graduation, Clair had his full choice of branches, and he chose the Infantry. Feeling deeply that conflict was imminent in the Far East he requested assignment to that theatre and joined the 173d Airborne Brigade on Okinawa in December 1964. His engagement to Miss Virginia Baumgartner of Ballston Spa, N.Y. had been announced the month before.</p>
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In May 1965, Clair’s brigade landed in South Vietnam as part of the first Army combat forces to be assigned there. He served in several Search-and-Destroy operations and was wounded the first time in October 1965, by grenade fragments. When he returned to duty the following month, he was given command of a platoon of Company B, 1st Battalion, 503d Infantry.</p>
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On 8 November the 1st battalion engaged a strong Viet Cong force in War Zone D, and Company B was pinned down by heavy enemy fire from its left flank. Clair volunteered to lead his platoon around the flank of the hostile machine guns with the objective of seizing a key hill. Leading his men in the attack, he took pains to maintain his own position between his troops and the enemy at all times. When all was in readiness he rose and gave the order: “Follow me!” and led the assault on the hill. Just 30 feet from his objective he came under direct enemy fire, was hit, and died instantly. For this action he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross posthumously.</p>
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Clair’s other decorations include: the Purple Heart with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Vietnamese Campaign Medal, and the Combat Infantry Badge. He died as he lived—a soldier’s soldier.</p>
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In one of his last letters to his father he wrote: “Isn’t it strange how we are willing to fight or even die for that little bit of red, white, and blue bunting and Marian Anderson singing in 'The Star Spangled Banner’, 'O, thus be it ever when free men shall stand!’ ’’</p>
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He was interred with full military honors at the West Point Cemetery on 10 November 1965.</p>