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Inside, the church, Piercy's family was joined by friends and hundreds of community members. His wife Christina calmly spoke to all of them. "We didn't have many years together as husband and wife and of that much of the time he was deployed. But in that time he proved to be the most amazing husband I could ever have dreamed of having."
Piercy was a squad leader and one of the men who served under him, in Afghanistan, Corporal Kyle Henderson remembered him as a leader and a friend. "You see, it wasn't just a job to Brian. We weren't just his soldiers. We were HIS soldiers."
Pastor Pete Gavrilis urged those attending to honor Brian, by remembering those still serving. "I want to just remind us, that we not only remember them on Memorial Day and Veterans Day, but Every Day ... remember these young men and women that fight for us. To protect us. To give us the freedoms we have that we take so for granted."
The message resonated with many, who attended, especially with Regina Teter, who's son is serving in the Marine Corps. "Our son Josh was just home on leave for three weeks and every time he comes home I have to remind myself if he goes away and gets deployed and he's in harm's way, that might be the last time I would have seen him. I don't like to think about that, but I think in order to better appreciate what we do have we need to be reminded."
To his friend Carla Potter Brian Piercy's sacrifice is a painful reminder. "He gave his life to protect the rest of us, and it's ... he's just a hero in all of our hearts and we'll never forget that."
Brian Piercy was 27-years-old. He graduated from Buchanan High School in Clovis in 2001. He is the fourth member of that graduating class to die in combat in either Iraq or Afghanistan. Seven Buchanan Graduates have been killed in those conflicts. A total of nine military personnel who attended schools in the Clovis Unified School District have been killed in both wars.
In lieu of flowers, the Piercy family is asking for donations to:
National Veterans Foundation
9841 Airport Boulevard Suite 418
Los Angeles, California 90045
