MOBILE, Ala. – The Chairman of the Mobile Bay Area Veterans Commission, Mayor Sandy Stimpson, and the President of the Commission, Colonel Steve Carey, US Air Force (Retired), have the pleasure of announcing that Thomas G. “Tom” Claxton has been selected as the Mobile Bay Area Veteran of the Year for 2024.

Tom was selected because of his outstanding, selfless service to our country as a United States Marine and also because of his numerous contributions to the Mobile Bay Area veteran community and to the community in general. From June 1956 until August 1962, Tom served in the Marine Corps, attaining the rank of Sergeant.

Since he left the Marine Corps, Tom continued to serve his country and community in various capacities. Among these are serving in the P.L. Wilson Detachment of the Marine Corps League. He has served as the Junior Vice, Senior Vice Commandant, and Public Relations Officer.

Throughout his tenure in the League, Tom has used his leadership and expertise in community relations to improve contact with our local veteran community at a grassroots level and beyond. Using his extensive network in the community, his efforts have resulted in improved relations with the local news media, creating improved coverage for veterans in need and increased donations for projects such as Toys for Tots.

He created and promotes a “News from the Front” program, which relays information about local soldiers and Marines from the frontlines to the headlines. He has worked with local racetracks to recognize our veterans and their sacrifices and has worked tirelessly to promote fundraising for our veterans and active-duty personnel. Additionally, he has played a pivotal part in securing a role for our veterans in the “Stars with the Shows” program, which has appeared at Bayfest and the Wharf on the Eastern Shore.

Since its inception, Tom has chaired the Detachment’s Veterans Helping Veteran’s Kids Wishin’ to Go Fishin’ rodeo, which provides a day of fishing and fun for more than 30 children of local veterans who are currently or recently been deployed.

Continuously promoting our veteran community, Tom has brought more than 190 new members into the P.L. Wison Detachment, where he is currently serving his fourth term as the Detachment’s Commandant. He was chosen as Ed’s Seafood Veteran of the Year for 2023 and has also received a Quilt of Valor from that organization. Tom is also the founder of the “Veterans Helping Veterans car show, one of the largest jeep and car shows on the Gulf Coast.

This annual event raises thousands of dollars for veteran organizations. For Tom Claxton’s many years of dedicated service to the Marine Corps League, he has been awarded six Distinguished Service Awards, two National Recruiter Awards, Bronze, two National Recruiter Awards, Silver, two Community Service Awards, and four Recruiter of the Year Awards. He was also selected as the Detachment’s 2009 Marine of the Year, and for his service to the veterans of Alabama, Governor Bob Riley appointed Tom as an Honorary Colonel for the State of Alabama.

Tom is the co-founder and co-host of The Scuttlebutt Network radio program. The one-hour radio program and its companion website cover the Gulf Coast and the Nation on issues important to the Veterans community. Tom has two children, Tony and Star, and two grandsons. He and his wife, Annette, currently live in Mobile, AL.