Clifford Leon Dyes Sr.

Clifford Leon Dyes, 75, of Grantville, GA, passed away peacefully and surrounded by his family and close friends on February 21, 2023, due to natural causes. Born on October 27, 1947, to Thomas and Delores Dyes in Atlanta, GA, he was the youngest of six children. He attended Russell High School in East Point, GA and pursued a life of service to others. He was married to Alice Newman Dyes from October 20, 1978, until she passed away in 2019.
He enlisted in the United States Marine Corps on March 23, 1966, and served in Vietnam for a year and six months until he was wounded in action in the battle of Hue City during the Tet Offensive in 1968 and was medically retired on January 31, 1969. As a result of his service, he was awarded the Purple Heart Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, and Vietnam Campaign Ribbon.
After his Honorable Discharge, he attended broadcasting school and pursued a career as a disk jockey. He traveled around Georgia in the 1970's performing both in the rink and the music booth at various roller-skating venues around the southeast. This work brought him to Newnan while he was managing the skating rinks in both Newnan and Carrollton for many years. He then had an over 20-year career in the industrial manufacturing sector until he was deemed 100% disabled by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Beyond this point, he dedicated his life to the service of others, specifically veterans, across Coweta County.
He stayed intimately involved with and advocated for veterans' groups, such as the Sgt. Clyde Thomason, MOH Marine Corps League Detachment #1325, American Legion Post 152, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2667, The Disabled American Veterans and the Grantville Veterans Association. He stayed positively engaged with the City of Grantville, GA, in the support of honoring both the Nation and the men and women who fought to support it. He also supported the Toys for Tots program on behalf of the United States Marine Corps Reserves to ensure that all children in Coweta County were able to have gifts under their Christmas Tree.
His image was cemented in this Nation's history through an iconic photograph, Hue by John Olson, taken of him and several other servicemen laying injured on top of a tank while being evacuated from Hue City. This photo was featured in Time Magazine and several photography books. It was also the centerpiece of an exhibit at the Newseum in Washington D.C. in February, 2018, which marked the 50th anniversary of the Tet Offensive and the release of a novel by a best-selling author that was based on the photograph.
He was survived by his sisters Janette Nalley (Henry) of Conyers and Carol Morgan (Cecil) of Newnan, daughters DeeDee Buttram (Mark) of Ragland, Alabama and Rebecca Selleck (Matthew) of Sharpsburg, son Clifford Dyes II of Grantville, and grandchildren Phoenix Buttram, Dakota Buttram, Clifford Dyes III, Lily Dyes, and Thomas Selleck. He is also survived by many nieces and nephews that love him dearly, as well as many friends that think of him as family.
He is preceded in death by his wife, Alice Newman Dyes; his parents, Thomas and Delores Dyes; his father-in-law, Ernest Newman; his brothers, Thomas Dyes and Charles Dyes; his sister, Juanita Willis.
Condolences may be expressed to the family at www.mckoon.com
Funeral services will be held with at 4:00 PM on Sunday, February 26, 2023, in the chapel of McKoon Funeral Home 38 Jackson Street in Newnan, GA. Rev. T.J. Boyd and Rev. Betty Jean Bowers officiating. The family will receive friends from 2:00 PM until service time.
McKoon Funeral Home & Crematory (770) 253-4580.