“Band of Brothers” Legend Lives on Through Granddaughter’s Visit to UTI-Exton Campus on Veterans Day
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UTI-Exton celebrated Veteran’s Day with a luncheon to honor more than 130 veteran students and staff on campus. Debi Rafferty, granddaughter of celebrated World War II hero, Wild Bill Guarnere, met with students to share her grandfather’s story. |
On Tuesday, November 11th, Debi Rafferty, granddaughter of South Philadelphia native and legendary World War II veteran William “Wild Bill” Guarnere, came to Universal Technical Institute-Exton (UTI) as part of a Veterans Day celebration to honor the 130 veteran students and staff on campus. Veteran students were treated to a special luncheon during which Rafferty shared her grandfather’s inspirational story and discussed the importance of veterans maintaining lessons learned from war and applying them to civilian life.
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, a supporter of war efforts and most recently, was portrayed by Frank John Hughes in the 2001 HBO miniseries “Band of Brothers.”
In addition to recounting her grandfather’s courageous tales from war, Rafferty spoke 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. 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.”
