thedrifter
11-09-07, 06:13 AM
WWII vets get belated high school diplomas
By Annie McCallum - The News & Advance
Posted : Thursday Nov 8, 2007 15:39:09 EST
LYNCHBURG, Va. — Growing up, Roy Witt remembers his grandmother talking about how his father didn’t complete high school.
Witt’s father, Roy Witt Jr., entered World War II as a teenager and never received a diploma.
That was remedied this week, more than 60 years later.
In a ceremony before the Lynchburg City School Board, school officials conferred 11 honorary diplomas — including a posthumous one for Witt’s father, who died in 2004.
“I tried to hold back my emotions as much as I could,” Witt said. “I cried all the way home. It meant a great deal to me.”
The diplomas were awarded Tuesday night to veterans whose schooling was interrupted by World War II. When Witt heard of the opportunity, he pursued it with his grandmother in mind. She was burdened by the fact that her son never received his degree, Witt said.
“It was some closure there, very much,” he said. “I can’t express the thanks to the people who were all involved.” Lynchburg superintendent Paul McKendrick and Julie Doyle, school board chairwoman, presented veterans and their families with the diplomas.
“It was quite an honor and really meant a lot to me. I felt like I was really accepting it for both of them last night,” Witt said. “It was beyond what I thought it was going to be. They went all out.”
McKendrick said the sacrifice veterans made, including not being able to complete high school because of military service, should be honored and never forgotten.
“This is a group of men and women we can really never do enough for,” he said. “There is so much you guys have given to us.”
The idea to award veterans their diplomas came from local resident Alease Brown, who said the contributions of veterans, as well as their giving attitude and sense of perseverance, should be remembered.
“If you never do anything else, please recognize veterans,” she said. “You don’t have to wait until Veteran’s Day; this can be done any time.” Brown said the ceremony hit close to home because her husband was a veteran who sacrificed for his country.
“Tonight it’s my pleasure to see this taking place in Lynchburg,” she said. “This is a dream coming true for me.”
The boardroom was full Tuesday with the veterans and their families, and it’s not often children can watch their parents receive diplomas.
Lynchburg City Schools awarded 11 diplomas, with three given posthumously. Vets present to accept their certificates were Wallace Burford, Ernest Pugh, Charles Hecker, Wayland Davis, Sidney Snow and Kenneth Hopkins.
Those awarded certificates posthumously were Witt, Russell Lewis Baker and Gilliam Kidd. Veterans Col. Randolph Carter and Neftali Garcia were also awarded degrees, but they didn’t attend the ceremony.
“This room experiences a lot of different topics and emotions, but I don’t know if this room has ever experienced the emotions we’ve gone through in the last few minutes,” McKendrick said.
Ellie
By Annie McCallum - The News & Advance
Posted : Thursday Nov 8, 2007 15:39:09 EST
LYNCHBURG, Va. — Growing up, Roy Witt remembers his grandmother talking about how his father didn’t complete high school.
Witt’s father, Roy Witt Jr., entered World War II as a teenager and never received a diploma.
That was remedied this week, more than 60 years later.
In a ceremony before the Lynchburg City School Board, school officials conferred 11 honorary diplomas — including a posthumous one for Witt’s father, who died in 2004.
“I tried to hold back my emotions as much as I could,” Witt said. “I cried all the way home. It meant a great deal to me.”
The diplomas were awarded Tuesday night to veterans whose schooling was interrupted by World War II. When Witt heard of the opportunity, he pursued it with his grandmother in mind. She was burdened by the fact that her son never received his degree, Witt said.
“It was some closure there, very much,” he said. “I can’t express the thanks to the people who were all involved.” Lynchburg superintendent Paul McKendrick and Julie Doyle, school board chairwoman, presented veterans and their families with the diplomas.
“It was quite an honor and really meant a lot to me. I felt like I was really accepting it for both of them last night,” Witt said. “It was beyond what I thought it was going to be. They went all out.”
McKendrick said the sacrifice veterans made, including not being able to complete high school because of military service, should be honored and never forgotten.
“This is a group of men and women we can really never do enough for,” he said. “There is so much you guys have given to us.”
The idea to award veterans their diplomas came from local resident Alease Brown, who said the contributions of veterans, as well as their giving attitude and sense of perseverance, should be remembered.
“If you never do anything else, please recognize veterans,” she said. “You don’t have to wait until Veteran’s Day; this can be done any time.” Brown said the ceremony hit close to home because her husband was a veteran who sacrificed for his country.
“Tonight it’s my pleasure to see this taking place in Lynchburg,” she said. “This is a dream coming true for me.”
The boardroom was full Tuesday with the veterans and their families, and it’s not often children can watch their parents receive diplomas.
Lynchburg City Schools awarded 11 diplomas, with three given posthumously. Vets present to accept their certificates were Wallace Burford, Ernest Pugh, Charles Hecker, Wayland Davis, Sidney Snow and Kenneth Hopkins.
Those awarded certificates posthumously were Witt, Russell Lewis Baker and Gilliam Kidd. Veterans Col. Randolph Carter and Neftali Garcia were also awarded degrees, but they didn’t attend the ceremony.
“This room experiences a lot of different topics and emotions, but I don’t know if this room has ever experienced the emotions we’ve gone through in the last few minutes,” McKendrick said.
Ellie