Heathe Nathanniel Craig was born on June 11, 1978, in Olean, Cattaraugus County, New York. He attended Lee-Davis High School. He was married to Judith Craig. He served as a combat medic with the 159th Medical Company (Air Ambulance), based in Wiesbaden, Germany. He was later deployed in Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

On June 21, 2006, during combat operations near Naray, Afghanistan, his DUSTOFF crew was dispatched to evacuate three critically wounded soldiers from the 10th Mountain Division following a firefight. Upon arriving at the scene after nightfall, Craig's crew found that one of the wounded soldiers had already died. The mountainous terrain prevented their UH-60 Black Hawk from landing, requiring Craig to be lowered into the combat zone by rescue hoist. Despite the area not yet being fully secured, he successfully rescued the first casualty, who survived. During the second rescue attempt, however, the hoist malfunctioned while lifting Craig and Pfc. Brian J. Bradbury into the hovering helicopter. Both men fell and were killed.

SSgt Craig is now buried in the Friedhof Hilpoltstein, Hilpoltstein, Landkreis Roth, Bavaria, Germany. He is also commemorated on the Dustoff Memorial located on the grounds of the U.S. Army Medical Department Museum at Joint Base San Antonio–Fort Sam Houston.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, dustoff.org