A man with deep local roots is dead after fighting against the Russians in Ukraine. 30 year old Clayton Hightower grew up here, and he graduated from Clarkston High School. Hightower joined the U.S. Army in 2014, but after nearly four years in the Army, he was medically discharged with permanent disability. Yet despite multiple rejected attempts at revoking his disability status, he never lost his motivation to help others… serving as volunteer firefighter, physical security, and more. Last March, Clayton Hightower joined the International Foreign Legion of Defense of Ukraine. He was known for his knowledge of artillery and unpredictable war tactics, and that resulted in Russian forces nicknaming him “the muddy one,” for his camouflage technique which involved lying covered in mud waiting to right moment to strike. On December 4th, Hightower died at an observation post in Ukraine, after he jumped through a window into heavy gunfire and performed CPR on a French soldier whose life was saved thanks to his efforts.
