Georgia SCI Members Lay Wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
May 22, 2023
By Trevor W. Santos
As Safari Club International (SCI) met in Washington, D.C. for its annual Lobby Day on Capitol Hill and May Board Meeting, several members of the Georgia Chapter of SCI joined the National Veterans Committee of the SCI Foundation and made their way across the Potomac River to participate in the wreath laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery. Arlington National Cemetery is recognized as one of the most hallowed grounds within the contiguous United States, being the final resting place for numerous U.S. Presidents, high ranking officers, dignitaries, and veterans. Specifically, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, is a sacred memorial site at the center of Arlington National Cemetery paying homage to America’s unidentified World War I service members, and others.
Georgia Chapter of SCI Life Member, Captain Tommy Clack, U.S. Army, Retired, participated in the Laying of the Wreath during very emotional conditions. Clack received devastating injuries in Vietnam in May of 1969 during combat on his second tour of duty. Clack has been honored for his service to our country by three U.S. Presidents, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, and George W. Bush, and former Georgia Governor Nathan Deal. He has also received one of the highest honors from SCI, the National Pathfinder Award, for his outstanding accomplishments in life following his injures. Clack has written and published more than 500 guest columns and has traveled across the country speaking in support of hunters’ rights and the Second Amendment.
Participating in the Laying of the Wreath Ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier fulfills a dream for Clack. Joining him was Georgia Chapter Vice President, Dick Caillouet, a Vietnam Veteran himself and a member of the SCI Veterans Committee. “It was amazing to participate in such a solemn event on the hallowed grounds at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery,” said Caillouet. “These memories will be cherished forever.”
###
About the Georgia Chapter of SCI
The Georgia Chapter of Safari Club International (SCI) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, volunteer-based organization dedicated to promoting and protecting our hunting heritage through education, conservation, and humanitarian efforts. Founded in 1981, the Georgia Chapter is one of the oldest SCI chapters in the world. Visit www.GeorgiaSCI.org for more information.