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Rear
Admiral
Clyde
Marsh,
USN,
(Retired)
assumed
the
duties
as
Commissioner/Director
of the
Alabama
Department
of
Veterans
Affairs
on 5
October
2005.
He was
nominated
by the
State
Board of
Directors
for
Veterans
Affairs
and
confirmed
by
unanimous
vote.
Marsh is
the 6th
State
Commissioner
of the
Department
of
Veterans
Affairs
since
the
department
was
created
in 1945.
He was
nominated
for a
second
term and
received
a
unanimous
vote by
the
State
Board of
Directors
to
commence
his
second
term in
October
2009.
As
Commissioner,
he is
responsible
for all
administrative
and
executive
duties
of the
Department
of
Veterans
Affairs.
He
manages
the
state
agency’s
operations
(140
state
employees
in 67
counties)
and
agency
contractors.
He also
oversees
a 100
million
dollar
budget
as well
as state
benefits
and
services
for
Alabama
Veterans
and
their
families.
Commissioner
Marsh is
directing
the
construction
of a 50
million
dollar
new
State
Veterans
Home in
Pell
City,
Alabama.
He is
also
planning
the
development
and
construction
of
Alabama’s
first
State
Veterans
Cemetery.
He comes
to the
Department
of
Veterans
Affairs
from the
U. S.
Navy
where he
retired
as a
Rear
Admiral
following
thirty-one
successful
and
rewarding
years of
dedicated
service.
While in
the
Navy, he
served
in the
following
command,
headquarters
and key
staff
assignments:
Commander
Amphibious
Group
Three,
Commander
Expeditionary
Strike
Group
FIVE,
Deputy
Director
Expeditionary
Warfare
Division
the
Pentagon,
Special
Assistant
to the
Chief of
Naval
Operations
the
Pentagon,
Plans
and
Policy
Officer
for U.S.
Pacific
Command,
Commander
Amphibious
Squadron
Five as
well as
Commanding
Officer
USS
Sumter (LST
1181)
and USS
Cleveland
(LPD
7). He
also
served
at sea
aboard
the
following
ships:
USS
Essex,
USS St.
Louis,
USS
Pensacola,
USS
Manley,
USS
Prairie,
USS
Parsons
and USS
Ozbourn.
Admiral
Marsh
led Task
Force 51
during
the Iraq
War
where he
commanded
31
United
States
and
Coalition
ships
and
44,000
personnel.
He
directed
combat
amphibious
operations
at sea
as well
as port
operations
at
Kuwait
Naval
Base and
Umm
Quasar
in
Southern
Iraq.
Marsh
was born
in
Wedowee,
Alabama
and
earned
his BA
Degree
from
Alabama
A&M
University
in 1973.
After
graduation,
he
received
a
commission
as an
Ensign
in the
U. S.
Navy and
later
earned
his
Master
of
Science
degree
from
Troy
University
in 1988.
He is a
1992
graduate
of the
Armed
Forces
Staff
College.
Admiral
Marsh
attended
the
National
Defense
University
Flag and
General
Officer
Course.
He
completed
the
Black
Sea
Regional
Security
Program
at
Harvard
University’s
John F.
Kennedy
School
of
Government
and the
Executive
Business
Course
at the
University
of North
Carolina.
Admiral
Marsh’s
personal
awards
include
the
Legion
of Merit
(four
awards),
Bronze
Star,
Defense
Meritorious
Medal,
Meritorious
Service
Medal
(three
awards),
Navy and
Marine
Corps
Commendation
Medal,
Joint
Service
Achievement
Medal,
Navy
Achievement
Medal,
Armed
Forces
Expeditionary
Medal,
Navy
Expeditionary
Medal,
War on
Terrorism
Medal,
Iraq
Campaign
Medal
and
various
service
medals
and unit
awards.
He was
the
first
Navy
Admiral
to
receive
the
Department
of the
Navy
Nathaniel
Stinson
Leadership
and
Equal
Employment
Opportunity
Award in
2003.
He is
also a
recipient
of the
Alabama
A & M
University
Distinguished
Alumni
Award.
Commissioner
Marsh is
the Vice
President
of the
National
Association
of State
Directors
of
Veterans
Affairs,
Southeast
Region.
He is
listed
in the
2007-2008
Global
Directory
of Who’s
Who in
Government.
He is
the
author
of a
book
chapter
titled
the
“Changing
Landscape
of
Veterans
Affairs.
He is
also the
recipient
of 2010
National
Association
of
Secretaries
of State
Medallion
for the
State of
Alabama.
In 2012,
Secretary
of
Veterans
Affairs
Eric
Shinseki
appointed
Commissioner
Marsh to
the
Veterans'
Rural
Health
Advisory
Committee.
The
Committee
advises
the
Secretary
on
issues
affecting
Veterans
living
in rural
areas of
the
country
and who
are
enrolled
in the
VA
Health
Care
System.
Admiral
Marsh is
married
to the
former
Veronica
Potts of
Tallassee,
Alabama.
They
have two
adult
children;
Diondre
Marsh,
son and
August
Binder,
daughter.
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