Heroic Lakeland Grad Inducted into State Veterans’ Hall of Fame
Major Clayton O. Carpenter, a Lakeland High School and West Point graduate who was killed in January 2014 flying a helicopter in a training mission in Georgia while serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom, was recently inducted in the New York State Veterans’ Hall of Fame.
Carpenter, who was 30 when he died, was nominated by State Senator Terrence Murphy (R/Yorktown) as the 40th Senate District’s 2016 inductee. An award honored Carpenter’s distinguished military career was presented to his mother, Colette Carpenter, during a May 24 ceremony in Albany.
“There is no question Clayton Carpenter has earned our enduring gratitude for his bravery and the leadership qualities he exemplified,” Murphy said. “Major Carpenter may have been too humble to speak about his own accomplishments, but now generations to come will know about his bravery, his incomparable service record and his devotion to his country.”
A scholastic athlete at Lakeland, twice serving as the team captain on the boys’ track and field team, Carpenter’s photograph and biography will become part of a special on-line exhibit.
“My family and I are honored to see Clayton inducted,” Colette Carpenter said. “Although Clayton is no longer with us, I know he would be humbled by this honor. Clayton was committed to serving his God, his country, and his family. He made the ultimate sacrifice when he took action that saved the lives of his crew members. Clay would say he was only doing the right thing. With this honor, Clay’s bravery will always be remembered and appreciated.”
In June 2008, Carpenter was deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom as part of the 2nd Battalion, 25th Aviation Regiment in Hawaii. Three years later, he earned a place with the Night Stalkers, an elite operations unit which flies missions behind enemy lines. He met the love of his life, Laura Somerville, of Nashville, Tennessee, while stationed at Fort Campbell in Kentucky.
At the time of his death on January 15, 2014, Carpenter was a captain. He was posthumously promoted by the Army to Major. He received numerous awards and decorations. He was laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery on March 5, 2014.
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