The Amarillo VA Healthcare System hosted a remembrance ceremony for Lance Corporal Thomas E. Creek on Tuesday at its facility. In 2004, the VA facility was named after Creek in honor of his heroic action during the Vietnam War.
This remembrance marks 55 years since Creek was killed in action. Creek, born in Joplin, Missouri, grew up in Amarillo and attended Palo Duro High School. In March of 1968, he enlisted in the United States Marines. He deployed to Vietnam in July of 1968, and while already sustaining wounds in a firefight with enemy troops, he rolled on top of a grenade, saving the men around him. According to reports, he yelled, “I got its Mac!” as he rolled onto the grenade to protect those soldiers in proximity. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor in April of 1970, becoming the youngest service member in state history to receive the nation’s top honor.
The ceremony featured a video from Amarillo ISD celebrating his life. Dr. Rodney Gonzalez, the Amarillo VA director, and Edward Larkan, a friend of Creek, spoke at the remembrance event.