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Veteran volunteers all day, every day at South Sound elementary school

LACEY, Wash. — Kids at Horizons Elementary School crowd around Darcy Guyant as he tells stories about his time in the military.

“One thing I loved about the Coast Guard was that it was an organization that was focused on helping people,” he said.

Guyant retired from the military in 2005 after serving our country for 25 years. He spent seven years in the Army and flew helicopters in the Coast Guard for 18 years.

He loved the military because he got to help others.

“(After I retired) I kept changing different careers, I kept looking for the next thing that would fill that hole, and until I came here and started this I was still searching,” said Guyant.

Five years ago, he began volunteering at Horizons Elementary School in Lacey. Before long, he started showing up every school day.

"His attendance is better than most of the teachers'," said first-grade teacher Michele Tamanaha.  
The kids love his lessons.

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“He helps us do the math and when we do something wrong he gives us a hint,” said Jamila, a first-grade student.

“I kind of look at my role as more of a grandpa than a dad, because, for a lot of these kids, especially, I’m old enough to be their grandpa. And I kind of look at these kids as my adopted grandchildren, all 66 of them that are in first grade,” said Guyant.

In Thurston County, many kids have parents in the military, which helps Guyant form an even closer bond.

“When the kids are telling me that their dad or their mom are deployed, I know exactly what that means, I know what’s happening with the family because I’ve had to deploy and leave my family behind,” he said.

Guyant is 56 years old and doesn’t plan to slow down any time soon.

He said volunteering at the North Thurston elementary school is his calling and the kids help keep him young.