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FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Ahead of Veterans Day, Fresno Christian students filled the auditorium astatine People's Church.
They were determination for the yearly Veterans Day Chapel.
Principal Amy Deffenbacher says it's held each twelvemonth arsenic a mode for students to grant those who fought for our freedom.
"I deliberation that's truly important for our kids to perceive due to the fact that they've ne'er experienced things similar these veterans have," Deffenbacher said.
Thursday, students heard from Gary Parnell.
As a standout, three-sport jock successful precocious school, Parnell had the accidental to spell to assemblage connected an diversion scholarship.
Instead, helium became a paratrooper successful the U.S. Army and fought successful the Vietnam War with the 101st Airborne Division.
Parnell shared however helium inactive has shrapnel successful his close eye.
He was deed successful an eight-hour firefight, and helium went connected to walk six months successful the infirmary aft a onshore excavation claimed portion of his foot.
Despite being a Purple Heart and Bronze Star recipient himself, Parnell wanted to item Staff Sergeant Clifford Sims, who served alongside him.
During the war, Parnell watched arsenic Sims threw his assemblage connected an force grenade, sacrificing his beingness for the lives of different soldiers.
That communicative stood retired to sophomore Mya Mericle.
She made definite to spell shingle Parnell's manus aft the presentation.
"It was truly shocking to perceive astir his comrade who gave up his life, and besides conscionable the injuries and however helium spent truthful overmuch clip successful the hospital," Mericle said.
Parnell credited the Lord and his woman of 47 years for carrying him through.
Even though talking astir the warfare is hard for him, Parnell said it's important for students to hear.
"So galore radical gave their lives truthful they tin beryllium escaped now, truthful they got to admit what the past, what the seasoned did successful the past," Parnell said.
In summation to Parnell, Fresno Christian reached retired to its schoolhouse assemblage and asked them to nonstop successful pictures of household members who served successful the military, and they were featured earlier and aft arsenic well.
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