Faculty and staff at Fallston High School are already planning ways to remember Marine Cpl. Jennifer Parcells, a 2004 graduate who died earlier this week in Iraq.
A Bel Air native who was killed in Al-Anbar province Wednesday, Parcells might be among the first inductees into the school?s “Ring of Honor” ? a commemorative walkway, garden and bench outside the school, said Principal Kevin Fleming.
“The criteria are kind of wide open: Anyone who has made significant contributions to school, community, country or humanity … with a connection to the school,” Fleming said.
Parcells, 20, was based in Okinawa, Japan, and had received six medals for her service since enlisting in 2005. She followed her older brother, Joseph, into the Marines, and the two were stationed together in Iraq for a month before his tour of duty took him elsewhere.
Parcellswas the ninth Harford County native and the third Fallston graduate to die while serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.
“She didn?t always have the perfect grades, but her gift was being a leader in other ways,” said John Galeone, who taught Parcells in chemistry during her junior year.
“She was always good at working in groups.”
Galeone said many of his students had heard the news of Parcells? death. The school observed a moment of silence for her and her family at the beginning of class Friday morning, Fleming said. He said he expected another moment of silence prior to a basketball game that night.
Several teachers were discussing adding Parcells to the nominees for the Ring of Honor, though nominations would remain open until the end of March, Fleming said.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
