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Veterans are awarded high school diplomas in second year of Operation Recognition
They read maps and followed generals like Patton and Eisenhower across the world, learned foreign languages trying to communicate with the people who lived where battles raged, and studied math calculating things like range and velocity.
Many earned medals, but 52 veterans of World War II, Korea and Vietnam who learned their lessons the hard way were awarded high school diplomas in front of comrades, families sand friends May 21, 2008, by the Riverside County Office of Education during the Second Annual Operation Recognition Ceremony (honoree photos | photos from ceremony).
The program allows veterans and internees to receive diplomas in recognition of their service to their country. The program is sponsored by the Riverside County Office of Education, with assistance from the Riverside County Department of Veteran’s Services (more information).
“These veterans not only learned about history, they made history,” said Kenneth M. Young, Riverside County Superintendent of Schools. Young handed out diplomas with the assistance of Dr. Vick Knight Jr., member of the Riverside County Board of Education, and Bill Earl, Director, Department of Veteran Services.
Veterans stood as the Martin Luther King High School Chamber Singers sang a medley of songs honoring different branches of service, and dabbed tears as the Elsinore High School Air Force JROTC performed an honor guard detail.
Family members cheered and snapped photographs as veterans crossed the stage. When it was over, they stood in line one more time to pick up commendations from local elected officials, and then gathered to admire the one that meant the most -- a diploma.
The veterans who received diplomas included:
Gary Anderson
Serving in the Marines during the Vietnam War
Jess David Atilano
Serving in the Navy during the Korean War
George R. Baca
Serving in the Marines during the Korean War
Mark Chandler Banks
Serving in the Army during the Vietnam War
Clyde A. Bell
Serving in the Army during World War II
Kenneth M. Cable
Serving in the Army during the Korean War
Joseph Carpini
Serving in the Army during World War II
Franklin Delano Coffey
Serving in the Air Force during the Korean War
Michael DeCosta Jr.
Serving in the Army during the Korean War
William Deile
Serving in the Army during the Korean War
Juan V. Espinoza
Serving in the Marines during World War II
Lind Torrey Fiveland
Serving in the Air Force during the Korean War
Ronald Ascension Fraijo
Serving in the Marines during the Vietnam War
Henry Joe Garcia
Serving in the Navy during World War II
Peter James Garcia
Serving in the Navy and the Army during the Korean and Vietnam Wars
Eugenio Gomez
Serving in the Marines in World War II and the Korean War
David Diaz Gonzales
Serving in the Army during the Vietnam War
Marcelo Gonzalez Jr.
Serving in the Marines during the Vietnam War
Richard L. Goorey
Serving in the Marines during the Vietnam War
Richard R. Granado
Serving in the Army during the Vietnam War
Carl F. Hawkins
Serving in the Navy during World War II and the Korean War
Donald E. Hawley
Serving in the Marines in the Vietnam War
David W. Heard
Serving in the Navy during World War II
Noel Heft
Serving in the Army during the Korean War
Walter Edward Hetzel
Serving in the Navy during the Korean War
Keith A. Hograve
Serving in the Marines during the Vietnam War
Richard Jaramillo
Serving in the Air Force during the Vietnam War
Norman L. Keepers
Serving in the Army during World War II
Michael J. Lambert, Jr.
Serving in the Marines during the Vietnam War
Phillip A. LeGault
Serving in the Navy in World War II
Estepan J. Luna
Serving in the Army during the Korean War
Richard E. Marruffo
Serving in the Navy during World War II
Augustine G. Martinez
Serving in the Army during World War II
George Mello
Serving in the Army during the Korean War
Fred G. Mora
Serving in the Army during the World War II
Frank Guadalupe Munoz
Serving in the Navy in World War II and the Korean War
Manuel Munoz
Serving in the Army during the Korean War
Frank R. Munro
Serving in the Marines during the Korean War
Richard G. Nelson
Serving in the Army and Merchant Marines during World War II and the Korean War
George O. Peterson
Serving in the Navy during World War II
Clayton Lawrence Pringle
Serving in the Army during the Vietnam War
Kent Eugene Ransdell
Serving in the Navy during World War II
William S. Rivera
Serving in the Army during the Vietnam War
Steven Michael Roberts
Serving in the Army during the Vietnam War
William Holst Rodgers
Serving in the Navy during the Korean War
David Paul Rogers
Serving in the Navy during the Vietnam War
Harold Richard Roselli
Serving in the Navy during World War II and the Korean War
Glen Harlen Routh
Serving in the Air Force during the Korean and Vietnam Wars
Albert Ortiz Salsedo
Serving in the Army and Navy during World War II
Victor M. Sartoresi
Serving in the Army during the Vietnam War
George M. Valencia
Serving in the Marines during the Vietnam War
Anthony Zamora
Serving in the Army during the Vietnam War
For information contact:
Rick Peoples,
Public Information Officer
Telephone: (951) 826-6642
Fax: (951) 826-6199
rpeoples@rcoe.us
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