For our men and women in uniform this, spending a holiday away from home, is nothing new.
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"It's probably the most rewarding thing a person can choose for their life, to choose a life of service," General Major Matthew Beevers of the California National Guard said.
RELATED: Volunteers work around the clock to prepare Thanksgiving meals for Camp Fire evacuees
Major General Beevers joined the high ranking leadership of the California National Guard to feed their soldiers working on the ground in Paradise. Like many families, the soldiers were giving thanks and sharing stories.
Lieutenant Alan Wong from San Francisco says he helped find a fellow soldier's home while in Paradise.
"I knew that I had to help," Lt. Wong said.
MAPS: A look at the Camp Fire in Butte County and other California fires
Lt. Wong's mentality is pretty much the attitude around Paradise. Traditionally, holiday stories are full of volunteers feeding first responders, but Thursday the roles reversed.
"We got Cal Fire that I thought was coming to enjoy the food. No, they're in there serving for Thanksgiving! I said," celebrity chef Guy Fieri said.
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"We just made such a great connection with community over the last two weeks," Captain Steve Kaufmann of Ventura County Fire said.
Celebrity chefs and volunteers managed to get 15,000 meals prepared for Camp Fire evacuees.
TIME-LAPSE VIDEO: How Camp Fire smoke plume spread over Northern California
"Always been four or five different families getting together," Chuck Campos said.
Thousands of people were a part of Campos' dinner over the course of the day at Chico State. Many were strangers and some weren't.
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Either way, they all had something in common, tragedy and resilience.
Virginia Partain is a teacher at Paradise High. She and her colleagues talked about that over food and, of course, what they were thankful for.
RELATED: How you can help the victims of Butte County's Camp Fire
"I'm alive," Partain said. "My students all made it out. They're all alive and I believe in hope."
Partain believes hope is just what Paradise needs to rebuild.
See more stories, photos and videos on the Camp Fire in Butte County here.