Military

Marines Mourn Death of Cannoneer, Killed in Georgia

January 6, 2023Noelle Wiehe
field artilleryman

US Marine Corps Cpl. Selwyn Gary Clarke Jr., 21, died Nov. 20, 2022, on Interstate 20 eastbound near Turner Hill Road in Dekalb County, Georgia. Authorities believe he was struck by a vehicle. Composite by Coffee or Die Magazine.

A civilian driver struck and killed a Marine field artillery cannoneer as he was helping a trapped woman exit her rumpled vehicle.

First responders found Cpl. Selwyn Gary "G" Clarke Jr., 21, dead at about 2:12 a.m. on Nov. 20, 2022, on Interstate 20 eastbound near Turner Hill Road in Dekalb County, Georgia.

Dekalb County Police investigators believe the tragedy began with Clarke and his mother, Nyssa, helping a trapped woman out of her vehicle following a minor accident on the roadside between Lithonia and Conyers.

Then another vehicle traveling down the interstate hit them, killing Cpl. Clarke and sending his mom and the female driver they were extricating to a nearby hospital with serious injuries.

"The Marine Corps and our nation mourn the loss of Cpl. Clarke, a selfless and courageous Marine who exemplified our core values of honor, courage, and commitment,” said Marine Corps officials in a prepared statement emailed to Coffee or Die Magazine. “Our thoughts and condolences go out to his family during this difficult time. Cpl. Clarke's legacy will live on within the Corps as a symbol of bravery and dedication."

cannoneer (1920x1080, AR: 1.78)

cannoneer

A cannoneer with Hotel Battery, 3rd Battalion, 14th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division, opens the breach of a M777 howitzer after firing a round at Adazi Training Area, Latvia, March 2, 2019, during exercise Dynamic Front 19. US Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Niles Lee.

Selwyn Gary “G” Clarke, Jr. was born on Aug. 27, 2001.

He enlisted in the US Marine Corps on June 10, 2019, out of Conyers.

The reservist earned his noncommissioned officer blood stripes on April 1, 2021, according to Adam Bashaw, a spokesperson for Marine Forces Reserve and Marine Forces South.

Clarke served as a field artillery cannoneer with Battery M, 3rd Battalion, 14th Marines, 4th Marine Division, in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He had yet to deploy overseas.

Part of the combat arms section of the Corps, field artillery cannoneers operate howitzers, providing uninterrupted indirect fire support to Marine infantry and armor units.

Clarke's family held a memorial service after his cremation on Dec. 3 at Gregory B. Levett and Sons Funeral Home and Crematory’s Rockdale Chapel in Conyers.

Read Next: Marine Col. Walter Cunningham, NASA Astronaut, Dead at 90

Noelle Wiehe
Noelle Wiehe

Noelle is a former staff writer for Coffee or Die through a fellowship from Military Veterans in Journalism. She has a bachelor’s degree in journalism and interned with the US Army Cadet Command. Noelle also worked as a civilian journalist covering several units, including the 75th Ranger Regiment on Fort Benning, before she joined the military as a public affairs specialist.

More from Coffee or Die Magazine
Humor
Dear Jack: I'm Retiring From The Military — Help!

In this installment of “Dear Jack,” Marine veteran Jack Mandaville helps a career service member figure out life after retirement.

March 31, 2023Jack Mandaville
navy chaplains suicide prevention
Military
US Navy Deploys More Chaplains For Suicide Prevention

Growing mental health distress in the ranks carries such grave implications that the U.S. chief of n...

March 31, 2023Associated Press
ukraine lessons learned
Opinion & Essay
Nolan Peterson: Lessons From Russia's Invasion of Ukraine

After living in and reporting from Ukraine the last nine years, conflict journalist Nolan Peterson h...

March 30, 2023Nolan Peterson
black hawk crash kentucky
Military
9 Killed In Army Black Hawk Helicopter Crash In Kentucky

Nondice Thurman, a spokesperson for Fort Campbell, said Thursday morning that the deaths happened the previous night in southwestern Kentucky during a routine training mission.

March 30, 2023Associated Press
richard stayskal act military medical malpractice
Military
DOD Denies Most Stayskal Act Malpractice Claims

Master Sgt. Richard Stayskal was diagnosed with lung cancer long after military doctors missed a tum...

March 29, 2023Maggie BenZvi
ukrainian wounded soldiers
Intel
‘On Tour In Hell’: Wounded Ukrainian Soldiers Evacuated

With bandaged heads and splinted limbs, the wounded soldiers are stretchered into the waiting medica...

March 27, 2023Associated Press
US oil mission
Military
US Launches Airstrikes in Syria After Drone Kills US Worker

While it’s not the first time the U.S. and Iran have traded airstrikes in Syria, the attack and the ...

March 24, 2023Associated Press
The Gift jason dunham
Entertainment
‘The Gift’ Explores the Life and Legacy of Medal of Honor Recipient Jason Dunham

"The Gift" tells the story of the first Marine to receive the Medal of Honor after the Vietnam War. ...

March 24, 2023Mac Caltrider
  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Careers
Contact Us
  • Request a Correction
  • Write for Us
  • General Inquiries
© 2023 Coffee or Die Magazine. All Rights Reserved