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Fallen Navy Seal Honored With Memorial Stadium At Garden Grove Alma Mater

GARDEN GROVE (CBSLA.com) — On Friday night, the Garden Grove Argonauts played their first game on a field dedicated to the memory of a fallen hero that was one of their own.

With a red, white and blue parachute team flying overhead and football players ripping through a banner emblazoned with his name, Garden Grove High School dedicated the Michael A. Monsoor Memorial Stadium to the alumni, a Navy Seal killed overseas during Operation Iraqi Freedom. He also played football for the school.

Michael received many awards posthumously, including the Purple Heart, for saving the lives of fellow Seals when he sacrificed himself by jumping on a grenade during combat 11 years ago.

"Michael is an example of the kind of heroes that we need today," Navy Assistant Platoon Commander Andrew Paul told CBS2 News.

Overwhelmed by the show of support, Monsoor's mother Sally told the jubilant crowd, "Sometimes, 'thank you' isn't enough."

"When you start to give, you find that you receive so much more," Ms. Monsoor told reporters. "I'm hoping when they see Mike's name and know his story, that that will inspire people to do better for their communities."

In addition to the stadium, the school has a wall memorializing Monsoor.

(©2017 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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