Clayton Marshall Hickman

Clayton Marshall Hickman, Chief Warrant Officer 2, age 32, left his earthly life for a glorious life with our Heavenly Father on February 03 while pursuing his lifelong ambitions of becoming a pilot, when his helicopter crashed in Germany during a training mission. He was stationed in Stuttgart, Germany. He had only been in Germany since August 2009. He has now earned his pilot wings of gold.

Funeral services for Clayton will be conducted Monday at 11:00 A.M. in the chapel of Williams Funeral Home in Columbia with Rev. Randy Miller officiating followed by full military honors provided by the United States Army at Polk Memorial Gardens.

Inurnment will be conducted Tuesday at 4:00 P.M. at Polk Memorial Gardens.

The family will visit with friends on Sunday from 4:00 – 9:00 P.M. at the funeral home.

Clayton was born February 3, 1978 in Columbia, the son of Lloyd Marshall and Nicola Renae Crumley Hickman. He was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church.

During Clayton's early years, he was involved with scouting. He played several years of City League Basketball. He did a stint with the explorer scout and worked as explorer with Eastside Animal Hospital. He was involved in band at Whitthorne Middle School 1991-1993, Central High School Marching Band 1993-1996. He had traveled to Washington, DC as an incoming freshman with the band and marched in the Independence Day Parade and toured the sights and he also took his dream making trip when the band flew to Arizona to march in the Fiesta Bowl. This was his first airplane trip and is where his dream was born. His feet have never touched the ground since.

He worked for Sam Hills in Columbia and Northside Piggly Wiggly. He worked at Maury County Airport mowing grass to earn time to learn to fly fixed wing aircraft. He also enjoyed drafting and dabbling in home designs as a hobby.

Clayton joined the United States Marine Corps in December 1996 and stayed 9 years. He spent time in Japan, South Korea and Thailand before coming back to the States. His last duty station was in Jacksonville, FL. During this time, he worked part time with Herlong Airport where he was continuing to pursue his fixed wing certification. He left the Marines as a Sergeant and had a brief absence from military duty before joining the United States Army and going to Warrant Officer's Planning School in 2007 and becoming a Warrant Officer 1 so he could learn to fly helicopters and was stationed in Fort Rucker, AL. Upon graduation in 2009, he was then assigned to serve a three year stint in Stuttgart Germany arriving August 2009.

His dream after retiring from military service was to pursue a job flying with the Vanderbilt Lifeflight team. He had worked hard to obtain permission for a ride along and it was granted, but due to inclement weather conditions, the flight got returned to the landing pad in Columbia.

Survivors in addition to his parents are a son, Brett Marshall Hickman and daughter, Brenna Grace Hickman, both of Centerville; brother, United States Marine Corps Sergeant Dustin Katie Hickman stationed at Quantico, VA; maternal grandmother Violetta Raffae Crumley of Columbia; maternal grandfather, Charles Morris Crumley of Spring Hill; aunts, Lynda Crumley, Viola Harrington, Patricia David Luther, Melinda Larry Delk, all of Columbia and several cousins.

Clayton was preceded in death by paternal grandparents: Leonard Clayton and Grace Doreen Hickman and aunt, Sandra Bullock, all of Columbia.