General Lucius Clay - Grave of a Famous Person on Waymarking.com

General Lucius Clay was a 1918 graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point. He was large and administrator and advisor during World War II. Immediately following the D-Day Invasion General Clay directed the stabilization of the French Harbor of Cherboug, which was critical to the flow of allied war supplies. General Clay is best known for ordering and directing the Berlin Airlift of 1948 and 1949. The airlift was defining moment in the Cold War and demonstrated the American support for the citizens of Berlin. The airlift would last for 324 days, ending in May 1949. Following the War General Clay retired from military service and went into private business and prospered in several firms. He also played a major role in forming the Clay Committee, which helped to establish the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956. General Lucius Clay died on April 16, 1978 and is buried in the United States Military Academy Post Cemetery in West Point, New York.

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Description: Lucius D. Clay was born in Marietta Georgia on April 23, 1897. He attended the United States Military Academy, graduating in 1918 and returned to West Point as an instructor during the 1920’s and 30’s. After directing the construction of a number of dams and civilian airports, Clay has rose to the rank of brigadier general by 1942, becoming the youngest Brigadier General in the Army. While General Clay did not see actual combat during World War II he was awarded the Legion of Merit in 1942, the Distinguished Service Medal in 1944 and the Bronze Star for stabilizing the French Harbor of Cherboug in the days immediately after D-Day. In 1945 General Clay served as deputy of General Dwight Eisenhower and in 1946 was made Deputy Governor of Germany during the period of Allied Military Government. But General Clay is perhaps best known for overseeing the Berlin Airlift during 1948 and 1949. On June 25, 1948, just one day after the Soviets imposed a blockade of Berlin, General Clay gave the order to begin the Berlin Airlift. At one point during the next 325 days cargo planes would land at Tempelhof ever 4-minutes, 24-hours a day. This was a defining moment in the Cold War and demonstrated the American support for the citizens of Berlin. The airlift would last for 324 days, ending in May 1949. The day after the blockade ended General Clay resigned his post. When he returned to the United States he was honored with a ticker tape parade on May 19, 1949. General Clay was the father of two sons who both served in the military rising to the rank of General. General Lucius Clay died on April 16, 1978 and is buried in the United States Military Academy Post Cemetery in West Point, New York. Date of birth: 04/23/1897 Date of death: 04/16/1978 Area of notoriety: Military Marker Type: Headstone Setting: Outdoor Visiting Hours/Restrictions: Daily - Dawn to Dusk Fee required?: No Web site: [Web Link]

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