Dr. Charlie Clark to Speak to Republican Women, Dec. 9th

Dr. Charlie Clark will be the speaker for the Limestone County Republican Women when its meets on Tuesday, December 9, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Hamilton House in Mexia.

Dr. Clark is associated with Celebration of Love. Celebration of Love is a non profit organization at Fort Hood that provides toys for children of service men and women deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan during the Christmas season. Last Christmas season, the organization provided toys for 3,800 children.

The December meeting of the Limestone County Women will be its Christmas meeting and also will include the installation of officers for 2009.

Dr. Clark is a Texas native, originally from Comfort, Texas, near San Antonio. Growing up in the Texas Hill Country he was an avid fisherman and hunter at a young age and still enjoys these pastimes today. He attended Texas Military Institute in San Antonio for high school, where he was decorated for his leadership and scholarship, and also for his dedication to the sports of football and baseball. Following high school, Dr. Clark attended Texas A&M University on a baseball scholarship, with a major in microbiology.

During his time on the baseball field, one of his teammates was injured when a ball hit him in the face, fracturing several bones and lacerating the skin in several places. This teammate was successfully treated by an Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon, and Dr. Clark had found his calling.

Following his senior year at Texas A&M, Dr. Clark attended Baylor Dental School in Dallas, graduated and signed on for military service that would eventually provide him the additional four year of training required for Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons.

Dr. Clark's twelve years of military service have included hospital based tours in Georgia and Texas, over one year of field service in Korea, and six months of combat in Iraq. In Iraq, Dr. Clark was a trauma surgeon focused on the head and neck injuries of soldiers and Iraqi civilians. During his tour of duty in Iraq, Dr. Clark was one of the combat surgeons responsible for treating then Iraqi President, Saddam Hussein, upon his capture. His final tour of duty at Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC) in San Antonio, was a teaching role for Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Residents.

When Dr. Clark re-entered civilian life, he along with his wife Heidi, a former RN in the U.S. Army, established the Heart of the Brazos Oral and Facial Surgery medical and dental practice in Waco in July of 2007.

Dr. Clark and his wife are the parents of a son, Carson.

Dr. Clark has received several awards including the Bernier Award, United States Army's Dental Research Award, 1st place, 2003; Combat Action Badge, first surgeon to receive honorable award, and Expert Field Medical Badge. Other military awards include Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal -- 3 Oak Leaf clusters, National Defense Service Medal, Korean Defense Service Medal, Iraqi Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Army Service Ribbon and Overseas Service Ribbon.

Dr. Clark has provided professional written works to publications and has given presentations and lectures worldwide.