A Hero's Welcome

WELCOME HOME, IRAQ WAR VETERAN:

CAPTAIN CLAY HANNA, US ARMY

NORFOLK, VA/VIRGINIA BEACH, VA – January 11, 2008 – The Norfolk, Virginia area will welcome home local hero, Captain Clay Hanna, US Army, from a 15 month tour in Iraq.  Father of 2 sons and the 3^rd of 6 children to Page Hanna, Clay will be welcomed home at the Norfolk airport on Monday evening, January 14, 2008 at 10PM by more than 50 family members, friends and Patriot Guard Riders. Several siblings and family members will be flying in to surprise Captain Hanna, an Old Dominion graduate, and welcome him home from a long tour of duty in his hometown of Virginia Beach, VA. 

This hero’s story reads like a box-office movie when his wife, Sarah, became pregnant with their second son, Cole, just 7 months before Capt. Hanna was to deploy.  Not expecting to meet his new baby until R&R several months later, Baby Hanna had a different plan and decided to send off his Dad in grand style by entering the world 2 months early.  Capt. Hanna left for Iraq with his little son still in Intensive Care but will be greeted by a healthy and energetic 1 year old along with his 3 year old son, Henry, when he comes back to the US. 

But the story doesn’t end there, this hero used his life-long passion of soccer to inspire a partnership with an Iraqi leader and ultimately make our world safer.  Since our American soldiers and the Iraqi military members they work along side of do not speak the same language, their day is filled with dialogue translated through an interpreter.  In an effort to exchange more than just words, but to gain trust, Hanna decided to bridge the language gap the only way he knew how: through a game of soccer.  After initiating several games between the GIs and their Iraqi counterparts, the commander of the Iraqi unit began opening up about a source whose information complimented US Army Intelligence.  The Iraqi military did not have permission to pursue this information from their higher command but gave the information to Capt. Hanna to use as he saw fit.  The exchange, and subsequent mission, led to the capture of 8 Madhi army members most of them cell leaders responsible for planting roadside bombs in east Baghdad to harm American troops. 

The genius of Capt. Hanna’s leadership will be missed by the US Army as Captain Clay Hanna will transition into Civilian Clay Hanna, great American, as his contract with the US Army has been fulfilled.  Clay is now looking for an opportunity to continue to serve his country in a civilian capacity. 

The welcome home celebration is being coordinated by Page Hanna, mother of our hero, and Autumn VandeHei, sister of our hero.  Autumn recently reached out to A Hero’s Welcome, a Philadelphia-based organization that helps organize welcome home services for our troops and inspires the community to unite around their hero.  For more information on how to join the Hanna family and friends in welcoming home their hero, please email Charlie@aheros-welcome.org. 

A Hero’s Welcome is a nation-wide organization started to ensure that all of our service members get the proper welcome home from the war.  Founded in West Norriton, PA in August 2007 by Sharon Hyland Keyser, a Blue Star Wife, A Hero’s Welcome is opening up local chapters in nearly every state in the US.  More information about A Hero’s Welcome can be found at www.aheros-welcome.org.