Rick Clay

Rick Clay, who is from Charleston, will be one of five veterans presenting the "Garland of Roses" to Saturday's winner. Clay is a Marine who also served a short time as a member of the West Virginia National Guard. He also served with the Marshall University ROTC. Most recently, Clay worked as a senior deputy adviser to Ambassador Paul Bremmer from 2003-2009 in Iraq, running several of the reconstruction projects in the war-torn nation. According to the filing, Clay was working in Iraq as a civilian contractor with Toltest Inc. in January 2009. He was scheduled to be a passenger in a convoy operated by the defendants traveling from the International Zone near Baghdad to Baqouba, Iraq, to perform a final inspection of a military training base. Though he wore a Kevlar helmet, body armor vest, and protective clothing, the vehicle was not equipped with seat belts. The suit states on the return trip, while traveling at speeds between 60 mph and 70 mph, the vehicle momentarily lost control, causing it to go airborne and roll halfway over and side to side. The suit does not mention small arms fire or any explosive devices. The lawsuit alleged extensive, lasting damage to Clay’s health. Currently, Clay works with the Military Warrior Support Foundation. The organization has provided more than 600 mortgage-free homes to veterans.