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Matthew Taylor Haught, 41, passed away at his family home in Huntsville, Arkansas on Monday, January 6, 2025. Matthew received a congressional appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point and graduated in 2006. He was commissioned as a Military Intelligence officer in the US Army where he specialized in anti-terrorism and weapons systems and held a Top Secret security clearance. He served as the Battalion Intelligence Officer for an Apache helicopter unit at Camp Eagle in South Korea and then found a great sense of accomplishment in his last assignment as a Company Commander of 330 soldiers at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, CA, leaving the Army as a Captain in 2011. He then began a successful career in government contracting while living in Alexandria, VA. Matthew was immensely proud to serve his fellow veterans through his work with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), where he played a pivotal role in enhancing the Veteran experience. His efforts contributed to innovative programs that revolutionized how the VA gathered and analyzed feedback from millions of Veterans, ensuring their voices were heard and their needs prioritized. His work supported real-time interventions for at-risk Veterans and improved access to essential services, leaving a lasting impact on countless lives. He spent the last years of his life working remotely and living at home in Huntsville, enjoying his lifelong passion for firearms and honing his competitive pistol shooting skills. He was a man of many talents and abilities: a certified Glock armorer, NRA Basic Pistol Instructor, B Class rated shooter in the USPSA Production Division, Amateur Radio Technician, NAUI open water scuba diver, US Army Airborne parachuter, private pilot, and National Association for Search and Rescue Wilderness Responder. In the months before his death Matthew fought to overcome a lifelong struggle with depression and PTSD. He gave his all in residential and outpatient treatment at the VA. His family and his dear friend Jennie Wilkinson provided a diligent support system. He spent the weeks before his death surrounded by love and spending time with his family and Service Dog Apollo. We take solace that he is now at peace. Matthew was preceded in death by his grandfather, Quentin Goyne, and by his beloved Search and Rescue dog Argo. He is survived by his mother, Mary Beth Haught, and Rob Bolinger; his sister, Jordyn Haught, and husband Kirk Morrow; and his grandmother, Geraldine Goyne. A private graveside service with military honors will take place at Aurora Cemetery. Memorial donations may be made to the Fayetteville VA Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program; please note the funds are for RRTP in honor of Matthew Haught and mail to Veterans Health Care System of the Ozarks, CDCE c/o Elyse Brewer, 1100 N College Ave (135), Fayetteville AR 72703. Donations may also be made to the Aurora Cemetery Fund at PO Box 1491, Huntsville AR 72740.

Tributes

Matthew Taylor Haught

June 28, 1983 - January 6, 2025