They survived horrors most of us will never experience and accomplished more than most of us could ever hope to, yet Richard Bentley and Gary Walcott couldn’t wait to get their high school diplomas.
If commencement speeches are meant to inspire and guide the next generation, Monroe High School students heard the best "speech" ever this week in the life examples of the two World War II veterans. The men were just teenagers when they fought in the war, earning numerous medals between the two of them for their bravery. They went on to have families and successful careers, but no high school diploma.
The lack of a diploma apparently stuck with both men. Bentley took a newspaper clipping of "Operation Recognition" to the Monroe School District. On Monday night, the two men were standing before the Monroe High School National Honor Society receiving their diplomas.
Teens who think graduating from high school isn’t that important should take note. If two men in their 70s never gave up, neither should they.
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