CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Nearly 25 years after terrorists took his life aboard USS Cole (DDG 67), Hull Maintenance Technician 2nd Class Kenneth E. Clodfelter's name will roar around Charlotte Motor Speedway this Memorial Day weekend, bringing his story full circle.
As a young man working pit row during NASCAR races in 1999 in Richmond, Virginia, Kenneth thrived on the excitement, teamwork, and precision that racing required.
This Memorial Day, his beloved NASCAR community will honor Kenneth by emblazoning his name on the No. 6 BuildSubmarines.com car windshield in tribute to his ultimate sacrifice during the terrorist attack on USS Cole in Yemen on October 12, 2000, an event that claimed the lives of 17 sailors.
"Kenneth spent time around racing, and he truly enjoyed being part of something bigger," said his brother Joe Clodfelter, a United States Marine Corps veteran. "This is incredibly meaningful. This is his life coming full circle. We really appreciate the Navy honoring my brother and helping our family continue to remember him."
For the Clodfelter’s of Mechanicsville, Va., military service runs deep. Kenneth's father, John, served in the Army during the Vietnam War, while his brother Joe chose the Marine Corps. Their home, adorned with an American flag and military tributes, stands as a testament to their family's commitment to service.
Born at Fitzsimmons Army Medical Center in Aurora, Colorado, Kenneth enlisted in the US Navy at just 18 years old after graduating from Lee-Davis High School in Mechanicsville, Va. Following training as a Hull Maintenance Technician, he reported to the USS Cole in March 1998. His duties included maintaining the ship's structural integrity, performing metalwork, and conducting welding tasks essential to ship repair and safety.
His life was cut short on October 12, 2000, when suicide bombers attacked the guided-missile destroyer during a refueling stop in Aden Harbor, Yemen. The blast tore a massive 40-by-60-foot hole in the ship's port side, killing 17 sailors and injuring 39 others. This October marks the 25th anniversary of the attack.
"As a Hull Maintenance Technician, Clodfelter performed critical welding and metalwork tasks that are essential to building and maintaining Navy ships," said Matthew Sermon , Direct Reporting Program Manager for the Maritime Industrial Base Program. "The skills he possessed are exactly the type of critical trades we're working to highlight, elevate and recruit for in today's maritime industrial base. Honoring him at this race not only acknowledges his sacrifice but recognizes the important men and women who build and maintain our ships and submarines to ensure the safety of our nation."
The NASCAR tribute also coincides with the Navy's 250th anniversary, offering a chance to reflect back on the service’s history and to consider what it needs for future success – with skilled trades workers in the shipbuilding industrial base being critical to past, present and future naval readiness.
The BuildSubmarines.com initiative represents a partnership between RFK Racing and BlueForge Alliance, a key partner of the Navy's Maritime Industrial Base Program. This collaboration aims to promote shipbuilding careers, from welding to design, and strengthen America's manufacturing workforce by reaching new audiences through dynamic engagements like NASCAR, connecting talented individuals with critical roles that support naval readiness.
“On this Memorial Day weekend I can think of no better way to recognize the heroes that have made, and continue to make, our nation great than by honoring HT2 Kenneth Clodfelter. He represents not only the Sailors who deploy forward to defend our nation, but also the maritime workforce that is the backbone of our Navy’s operational readiness” said Vice Adm. Robert Gaucher, Commander of Naval Submarine Forces. “It’s Sailors and craftsmen like HT2 Clodfelter who keep our fleet ready to deter any adversary, anywhere, so we keep our oceans free and open.”
For Joe Clodfelter and his family, the race offers profound significance---Kenneth's name will be seen and remembered by thousands. As part of the tribute, NASCAR and BuildSubmarines.com will host the Clodfelter family as Gold Star guests at the race. The No. 6 car will feature a special patriotic paint scheme for the event.
The Coca-Cola 600 tribute to fallen service members has become one of NASCAR's most moving traditions, with fans often standing in solemn respect when the fallen heroes' names are announced. The Memorial Day weekend race typically sees grandstands filled with active military and veterans, creating a powerful atmosphere of remembrance and gratitude that resonates throughout the speedway.
Nearly two and a half decades after the USS Cole attack, memories of that grim day remain vivid. Images of the devastated destroyer appeared on front pages worldwide and dominated news broadcasts as the nation grappled with what was, at the time, one of the deadliest terrorist attacks on U.S. military personnel.
Kenneth Clodfelter was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart, Combat Action Ribbon, and Navy Unit Commendation, and promoted to Hull Maintenance Technician Second Class. He had previously earned the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal during his service.
"The skilled trades that maintain our fleet's readiness aren't just jobs---they're careers critical to our national security," Sermon said. "When fans see the BuildSubmarines.com car honoring Kenneth Clodfelter, we hope they'll recognize both his sacrifice and the continued importance of the work he did every day."
As engines fire up and the Coca-Cola 600 begins, the Clodfelter family will watch, remembering Kenneth's life and sacrifice. His legacy lives on – not only in remembering his critical role on the ship and his service to his nation, but as an example of how future sailors or industrial base workers can build and maintain the world’s most powerful Navy.
| Date Taken: | 05.22.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 09.02.2025 13:00 |
| Story ID: | 547013 |
| Location: | CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 12 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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