Students at Alvaton Elementary School sing patriotically during a Veterans Day ceremony Thursday.

Only a few weeks away from his 100th birthday, World War II veteran Floyd Parr describes himself jokingly as “99 and holding.”

Parr, who served as an Army medic, will turn 100 on Dec. 7, which will be the 76th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. He was honored along with other veterans at Alvaton Elementary School on Thursday during a student-led Veterans Day assembly.

“It’s just phenomenal,” said Debbie Richardson, Parr’s daughter, as she described the pride she feels for her father. “He would do it again, wouldn’t take a million dollars for the experience.”

Serving as part of the 77th Division in the 305th Infantry Regiment, Parr traveled through the Pacific theater, including Okinawa, Guam, the Philippines and Guadalcanal.

When his group was crossing a field one day, he remembers getting an order for “double time,” or to pick up the pace. The next thing he knew, a bullet hit the ground between his legs and he hid behind a stump for protection. He remembers a bullet hitting his canteen – the only thing exposed while he hid.

During the school’s Veterans Day ceremony, Principal Sarah Johnson recognized Parr and other veterans, encouraging students to appreciate their sacrifices.

At the beginning of the ceremony, veterans lined up to face the school’s students and teachers as they gave a standing ovation.

Retired Air Force Lt. Col. Todd Alcott gave a brief speech about the history of Veterans Day, which dates back to the declaration of Armistice Day on Nov. 11, 1918, to commemorate the end of World War I.

“Freedom is something that we take for granted on most days,” Alcott said in an interview before his remarks. “There are people willing to die for what we take for granted.”

– Follow education reporter Aaron Mudd on Twitter @BGDN_edbeat or visit bgdailynews.com.