World War II Veteran Achieves Lifelong Dream of Receiving Diploma Two Days Before Passing at 98

In early May 2024, during an emotional ceremony in Poolesville, Maryland, American Legion Post 247 paid special tribute to the late Gunnery Sergeant Richard Remp.

“He was a Marine,” recalled his friend Julien Singh at the time. “His greatest pride was being a Marine.”

Known to everyone as Gunny, Remp left high school during his senior year to enlist in World War II and continued serving in the Marines until the Vietnam War. His friends Julien Singh and James Cappuccilli remembered that he was highly decorated throughout his military career.

Despite his many extraordinary accomplishments, Remp had one unfulfilled wish: to receive his high school diploma.

“That was his final wish,” Singh explained in May.

Thanks to a Pennsylvania law, any honorably discharged veteran of World War II, the Korean War, or the Vietnam War can receive an honorary high school diploma. However, the process can be lengthy, and Remp had only a few days to live.

In a desperate effort, his friends reached out to school administrators in Sharon, Pennsylvania, his hometown.

Sharon City School District Superintendent Justi Glaros promptly responded to the request.

“I have a deep admiration for the men and women who serve our country, and I felt compelled to do this,” Glaros told CBS News at the time.

She expedited the process and, in an extraordinary act, drove nearly 550 miles to personally deliver the diploma to Remp at his home.

“It was overwhelming,” Glaros recounted. “I knew he was weak, but in that moment, he seemed full of energy and determination.”

Richard Remp passed away on May 19, 2024, at the age of 98, just two days after receiving his long-awaited diploma.

“The last clear memory he had was receiving that diploma from Justi,” Singh said.

Fonte:https://www.cbsnews.com/