Veteran's Honorary High School Diploma Award Ceremony May 2003

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State Superintendent Linda McCulloch hosted a ceremony on May 27, 2003 in the Capitol Rotunda to award Montana's first group of veterans with their honorary high school diplomas. Superintendent McCulloch's Graduation Speech OPI May 2003 Awards Ceremony   Helena Independent Record article and photo   Additional Pictures

By LAURA TODE
IR Staff Writer

U.S Army Veteran Pete Villa was only one year older than his grandson Christopher when he fibbed about his age and enlisted in 1940. World War II was in full swing, and everyone in the United States, including the Villa family in Browning were mindful of the increasing U.S. in-volvement in the European conflict and the possibility that local boys could be lost overseas.

"I wanted to join, but neither one of my parents would sign for me to I told the recruiter that I was 18 when I was only 17 and signed up myself," Villa said.

It was in December that he left for the war, more than a year and a half before he would have graduated from Browning High School. And Tuesday, as Pomp and Circumstance rang through the Montana State Capitol Rotunda, Villa received his diploma along with about a dozen other veterans from World War II, Korea and Vietnam. His grandson Christopher was there, beaming from his seat as his grandfather's name was called.
As boys, the old men in the Rotunda Tuesday, dropped their books, and took up arms to defend freedom. When they returned they did not have the opportunity to go back to school, but instead returned home, went to work and started families. For their sacrifice, 13 veterans received honorary diplomas Tuesday on behalf of the Montana Office of Public Instruction.

"What these veterans did not get in the school classroom, they got in the classroom of life," said Montana Superintendent of Schools Linda McCulloch as she addressed the group of young and old.

The diplomas were the result of the popular SB81 sponsored by Montana State Senator Mike Cooney during the last legislative session. In both the Senate and the House, the bill received overwhelming support and was quickly signed into law by the governor.

"The purpose of the bill was to recognize the sacrifices, life experience and contributions of Montana's veterans," Cooney said.
Since the adoption of the new law, allowing the state to issue honorary diplomas, more than 80 veterans have submitted applications for graduation.

" Each application is associated with a very personal and touching story," McCulloch said.

The unique legislation was supported by students in Helena's Project for Alternative Learning (PAL). Several of the students including Krista Kockler testified on behalf of the bill in commit-tee hearings. Kockler also helped to organize Tuesday's commencement exercises.

Four veterans living in the Columbia Falls veterans' retirement home traveled to the Capitol to receive their diplomas.

" I've watched my children graduate, and all my grand children have graduated, and I even have great-grandchildren who have graduated, and now here I am - graduating at last," said Owen Rumley from Columbia Falls. Rumley proudly wore a blue mortar board and tassel. He attended only two years of high school in Sommers on Flathead Lake before joining the Army at age 17.

Reporter Laura Tode can be reached at 447-4081 or by e-mail at
laura.tode@helenair.com.