Marion Elementary School honored three U.S. soldiers Thursday who have connections to the school.

Specialists Bronson Shipman and Jerred Helm of Charlie 161 FA unit, and First Lt. Luke Kimbrell of the 400th Military Police Battalion with Oklahoma National Guard were recognized during the school’s morning assembly.

The soldiers were given flowers, and a rousing round of applause.

Kimbrell did not attend because he was not feeling well, but his daughter Debra, who is a third grader at MES, received the flowers for him.

“She said getting to go up there and accept the flowers on my behalf was pretty special,” Kimbrell said.

After the ceremony, Shipman, who attended MES, said it was neat, but also intimidating to stand in front of the students.

“It was probably scarier than being in Iraq,” he said with a smile, “but I was glad to get to come back.”

Helms’ parents, Carl and JoAnn moved to Marion after he graduated high school.

Helm, who did not attend MES but knows some of the students and their families, enjoyed seeing the children.

“It was really cool just to see that an entire school supported (us),” he said.

As of now all three soldiers are back in the states, but Helm and Shipman said they could be back oversees at some point.

Kimbrell said while he still is a member of the Oklahoma National Guard, he does not see an oversees deployment again.

Helm resides in Hays, Shipman in Gardner, and Kimbrell lives in Marion.