Mayor Bill Bazzi (left) watches as Angel Welch, mother of U.S. Army Spc. Clay Welch, uncovers the plaque containing his name on the Jaycees’ Veterans Memorial.
HEIGHTS – City officials recently honored the memory of Dearborn Heights native U.S. Army Veteran Spc. Clay Welch who died in 2020 while on active duty.
Welch was a combat medic in the Fort Riley, Kansas-based 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, which was serving a nine-month rotation in South Korea.
Mayor Bill Bazzi and several city officials were joined by members of the Welch family as a bronze plaque containing Welch’s name was uncovered on the Jaycees’ Veterans Memorial on the City Hall grounds. The following week, Bazzi made another presentation to the family – the folded and framed American flag that flew over the memorial when the original ceremony took place the prior week.
“Ceremonies like this are some of the most difficult things we can do,” Bazzi said. “But it is one of vital importance, as it demonstrates our gratitude for Clay’s service to our country, for both his and his family’s sacrifice, and it ensures we will always keep his name and memory alive for anyone who visits our memorial.
“As mayor and a veteran myself, it was a high honor and a privilege to be a part of this ceremony.”
Mayor Bill Bazzi (left) presents the American flag to Mark and Angel Welch, parents of Spc. Clay Welch, in honor of Spc. Welch’s memory. The flag flew over the memorial site several days earlier during the uncovering of Spc. Welch’s name on the Jaycees’ Veterans Memorial.