107-Year-Old WWII Veteran Gets His High School Diploma After Having To Drop Out Of School At 14
He was finally able to receive his diploma after 93 years.
Ground Picture | Shutterstock A WWII veteran was finally able to receive his high school diploma after 93 years. Orville Von Ehwegen had been forced to drop out of school to help his family and was unable to return, but a heartwarming turn of events proved that you're truly never too old to achieve your dreams.
During a graduation ceremony in his town, Ehwegen was honored during the local high school's graduation ceremony on May 18. His journey to that graduation stage spoke volumes and should serve as a reminder that no matter where you are in life, it's never too late to achieve, try, and succeed.
A 107-year-old WWII veteran got his high school diploma after having to drop out of school at 14.
According to FOX17, Ehwegen dropped out of school at age 14 to help his father on the farm during the Great Depression. He eventually enlisted in the Army and fought in the South Pacific during World War II from 1942 to 1945. When Ehwegen was honorably discharged, he didn't think he would ever get his diploma.
"It was gone. That part of my life, it was out," Ehwegen told KTIV News 4. Once his military service was over, Ehwegen opened an appliance store with his wife. "My business was a success, very much. It pays to be kind, it pays to have a smile."
After hearing the veteran's story, people in his community were determined to help him get his diploma.
Friends and family of Ehwegen decided he needed to be recognized for his life’s achievements and worked with East Sac County High School in Iowa to get him an honorary diploma. When Ehwegen found out about the efforts from the people in his life, he was blown away by their kindness and generosity.
"That’s quite an honor. I’ve never been honored like that before," he said. Considering he had a bit more life experience than the rest of the high school graduates, Ehwegen was able to say a few words to the young adults sitting in the audience.
"I was always kind, worked hard, and just enjoyed the life that I could. And it worked out just beautiful. Probably wasn’t as nice as going to high school and getting a diploma. But look what I got here," he told them. It had been Ehwegen's friend, Steve Irwin, who helped lead the charge to get him the honorary diploma.
The veteran's friends were first in line to make this long-time dream a reality.
Speaking to FOX17, Irwin said, "One thing led to another, and the school agreed to do an honorary diploma. So, I called back and asked him if he thought that would be a good idea. And he kind of hemmed and hawed for about a half a second and said, 'sure, that sounds like a really good idea.'"
Mark Gray, another longtime friend of Ehwegen, said that he was happy to see his buddy receive a diploma, telling the news outlet, "It’s a wonderful thing to graduate. It’s a good one of a thing to learn and be able to do things. And you don’t have to go through, you might say, a school of hard knocks."
While Ehwegen has lived an incredibly long and productive life, the fact that he was able to finally walk across a stage and receive his diploma is honestly more than just a symbolic gesture, but a full-circle moment as well. It's about more than a diploma. It's about acknowledging that even if dreams have to be put on the back burner, it's truly never too late.
Nia Tipton is a staff writer with a bachelor's degree in creative writing and journalism who covers news and lifestyle topics that focus on psychology, relationships, and the human experience.
