EXTON, Pa., Nov. 11, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Debi Rafferty, granddaughter of South Philadelphia native and legendary World War II veteran William "Wild Bill" Guarnere, will be at Universal Technical Institute-Exton (UTI) to greet veteran students, share her grandfather's inspirational story and discuss the importance of veterans maintaining lessons learned from war and applying them to civilian life.
Rafferty's visit will be part of a special Veteran's Day lunch to honor 130 veteran students and staff at UTI's Exton campus.
Guarnere, who was a member of Easy Company in the 101st Airborne Division of the U.S. Army during World War II, is considered a silent hero to people across the globe. He was wounded in Belgium during the Battle of the Bulge, suffering the loss of his leg while trying to save a friend. He returned home decorated with the Silver Star, two Bronze Stars and two Purple Hearts.
Throughout his veteran life, Guarnere was honored by presidents, senators, governors and countless local organizations dedicated to great American citizens. He became a popular advocate of wounded soldiers, supporter of war efforts and wrote the book "Brothers in Battle, Best of Friends: Two WWII Paratroopers from the Original Band of Brothers Tell Their Story." Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks immortalized the Easy Company veterans in the 2001 HBO miniseries "Band of Brothers," in which Guarnere's prominent role was portrayed by Frank John Hughes.
In addition to recounting her grandfather's courageous tales from war, Rafferty will speak about how, as a society, we must help support veterans as they work to achieve success in the civilian world. Many post-9/11 veterans struggle to find employment, as evidenced by their 6.2 percent unemployment rate in September and countless former service members who find themselves stuck in low-skill, low-paying jobs. At the same time, thousands of stable, good-paying jobs in the skilled trades are going unfilled.
Instructors at UTI — many of whom are veterans themselves — work closely with each veteran student to offer unique support and help them get the quality education they need to fill the high-tech jobs in the transportation industry.* Veterans make up 20 percent of the student population across Universal Technical Institute's 11 campuses. As graduates, veterans are among the four out of five who obtain employment in their fields of study,** thanks in part to UTI's specialized services designed to help those who have served our country find opportunities to translate their skills to successful, stable post-military careers.
"Since 2006, more than 300 veterans have graduated from the Exton campus. It's important to recognize these individuals for their dedicated service, not just on Veteran's Day but every day," said Bob Kessler, UTI-Exton's campus president. "We are privileged to have Debi here with us today to carry forth her grandfather's legacy as a true American hero and to honor the 130 American heroes here on campus who serve as a source of courage, pride and inspiration to us all."
For more information about the UTI campus in Exton, click here.
About Universal Technical Institute, Inc.:
Headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, Universal Technical Institute, Inc. (NYSE: UTI) is the leading provider of postsecondary education for students seeking careers as professional automotive, diesel, collision repair, motorcycle and marine technicians. With more than 180,000 graduates in its 49-year history, UTI offers undergraduate degree and diploma programs at 11 campuses across the United States as well as manufacturer-specific training programs at dedicated training centers. Through its campus-based school system, UTI provides specialized postsecondary education programs under the banner of several well-known brands, including Universal Technical Institute (UTI), Motorcycle Mechanics Institute and Marine Mechanics Institute (MMI) and NASCAR Technical Institute (NASCAR Tech).
For more information, visit www.uti.edu. Like UTI on www.facebook.com/UTI or follow UTI on Twitter @UTITweet, @MMITweet and @NASCARTechUTI.
*UTI cannot guarantee employment or salary. **Approximately 11,400 of the 12,200 UTI graduates in 2012 were available for employment. At the time of reporting, approximately 9,600 were employed within one year of their graduation date, for a total of 85%. For information about our graduation rates, the median debt of students who completed the program and other important information, visit our website at www.uti.edu/disclosure.
SOURCE Universal Technical Institute, Inc.
