Ceremony in Parkland honors Guardian Angels
PARKLAND Three Guardian Angels — strangers in red berets — showed up out of nowhere to guard a school rocked by tragedy.
They came back the next day and the next, promising to watch over the kids at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High, a campus changed forever by a Valentine’s Day massacre that took the lives of 17 students and staff.
And for that, they were honored Thursday by the Parkland community during a ceremony at Pine Trails Park.
David “Cobra” Clemente, a father of five from Tamarac, said he was overwhelmed by the love and respect he’s been shown by the teens and their parents.
“We’ve been in cities all over the country,” Clemente told the crowd. “You guys came together in a tragedy as one. It was that love you showed the Guardian Angels — so the Guardian Angels showed you the love right back.”
Romero “Black Cat” Davis, a gym owner from Coral Springs, was so overcome with emotion he could barely speak. Mark “Yankee” Munic, a Yankees fan from Lake Worth, could not attend but was there in spirit.
“These guys stood outside the school every day in the heat, with the rain,” said Parkland parent Jon Faber, who organized Thursday’s event. “They were protecting our kids and our teachers and our administrators. At the end of the day, these guys would run in and lay down their lives for our kids.”
Principal Ty Thompson presented the Guardian Angels with the school’s coveted Eagle award that’s given to only a few seniors every year.
Clemente asked the kids in the crowd to stand to hear his final words.
“Cobra and the Guardian Angels got your back,” he told them from the stage. “We got your back and you don’t have to worry. We got you. Sleep a little better tonight knowing the Angels are in Parkland.”
The Guardian Angels plan to stay in Parkland. And that’s just fine with, well, just about everyone.
“They came the day after [the shooting] and they haven’t left,” County Commissioner Michael Udine said. “They’ve become fixtures in this community. They’re beloved. And we’re thankful they’re here.”