MORENO VALLEY>> Veterans from World War II, Korean War, and Vietnam War who chose service to their country over graduation caps and gowns, will be honored with a high school diploma on Monday, November 13, 2017.
They were away from home serving their country while classmates were marching in commencement ceremonies. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard veterans who missed out on their high school graduations due to military service have until October 4 to apply for a diploma through the 2017 Operation Recognition Program.
More than 300 veterans have received those all important documents through Operation Recognition since 2007. The diplomas are awarded as a joint effort of the Riverside County Board of Education, the Riverside County Office of Education, and the Riverside County Department of Veterans’ Services.
The 2017 Operation Recognition ceremony will be held at 2 p.m. on Monday, November 13, at the Moreno Valley Conference and Recreation Center, 14075 Frederick Street, Moreno Valley.
In order to be recognized at the ceremony, completed application forms and supporting documentation must be received by 5:00 p.m., on Wednesday, October 4, 2017.
The program is open to current residents of Riverside County whose high school education was interrupted by military service in World War II, the Korean War, or the Vietnam War. Degrees can also be conferred posthumously. Education Code Section 51440 authorizes the granting of retroactive high school diplomas to eligible veterans. Section 51430 also authorizes the retroactive granting of diplomas to Japanese-American citizens whose internment by federal order in World War II prevented them from graduating from their hometown high school.
This ceremony is a great way to award those who unfortunately did not have the opportunity to graduate with their fellow classmates back in their school days. It is a way for their city to show their thanks and gratitude for the service and sacrifice each of these veterans provided for their country.