On September 15, 2023, U.S. Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Clay Campbell, a corpsman with 2d battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2d Marine Division, and a Clearwater, Florida native, was recognized and awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal for his outstanding bravery while on liberty.
Campbell was out with friends at Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina, during Independence Day weekend when he noticed something unusual.
“We were out in the water when I noticed a woman behaving strangely,” Campbell explained. “She began fluttering and lifting her arm as if pumping her fist.”
Campbell quickly recognized the woman was having a seizure and rushed her to shore, where he immediately began to perform life-saving procedures.
“I wasn’t thinking, I was just reacting,” said Campbell. “I put her in the recovery position and did a modified jaw thrust maneuver.”
After what felt like a lifetime, emergency services arrived to take the woman to a local hospital. Campbell was thankful for his training as a corpsman that day, which allowed him to maintain his composure and provide aid to the young woman, ultimately saving her life.
“I’m grateful for the skills that I have learned,” said Campbell. “You never know when they will come in handy.”
Campbell’s dedication and strength of service is exemplified by his heroic actions on that summer day. His quick response and professionalism go above and beyond the call of duty, demonstrating his initiative and expertise as a corpsman.
“He’s grown exponentially well with his tactical and clinical medical skills,” said Petty Officer 1st Class Derek Summers, a corpsman with 2d Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2d Marine Division. “He is always willing to take that initiative whenever necessary.”
