SGT Matthew M. Gantt, U.S. Army
March 6, 1979 — June 11, 2019
Matt grew up in Kettering, Ohio, one of eight children. He graduated from Archbishop Alter High School in 1997, where he ran cross-country and played baseball. His wide-ranging interests reflected a curious and joyful spirit. He enjoyed golfing, cooking, building models, and visiting Disney World. He also had a deep appreciation for movies, especially James Bond and Jurassic Park. After high school, he attended Bowling Green State University, where he was a cheerleader and earned a degree in communications in 2003.
In 2004, Matt enlisted in the U.S. Army as a human intelligence collector and completed basic training at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. During his service, he was stationed at Fort Benning, Georgia; Fort Huachuca, Arizona; Fort Gordon, Georgia; Fort Shafter, Hawaii; and the Defense Language Institute in California, where he studied Tagalog. In December 2005, he deployed to Kuwait and Iraq for eight months. In November 2007, he served a seven-month tour at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, with the 205th Military Intelligence Battalion.
After his honorable discharge in 2009, Matt continued serving the military community as a private contractor at Fort Huachuca, where he taught interrogation, operations, and tactics until 2013.
He passed away on June 11, 2019. His legacy endures through his wife, Jackie, his extended family, friends, and comrades.
