MDN.ORG:
Missouri Digital News
MDN.ORG
Mo. Digital News
Missouri Digital News
MDN.ORG:
Mo. Digital News
MDN.ORG:
Missouri Digital News
MDN.ORG:
Missouri Digital News
MDN.ORG
Mo. Digital News
Missouri Digital News
MDN.ORG:
Mo. Digital News
MDN.ORG:
Missouri Digital News
JEFFERSON CITY - As the wings on Ralph Leiby's 11th Airborne Division hat signify, he jumped out of airplanes during World War II.
"I've got my jump boots and wings. I had to earn them," said Leiby, who left high school in the tenth grade. "They were the pride. That's what we did it for."
At 16, Leiby joined the Merchant Marine and later enlisted in the Army.
Now 72, Leiby would finally receive his high school diploma under a bill being considered in the Missouri legislature.
"Operation Recognition" would give veterans who left high school to join the military the opportunity to receive an honorary high school diploma. The program would include veterans of World War I, World War II and the Korean conflict.
"When they start handing them out, I'll be close to the front of the line to get it," said Leiby, commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars post in Columbia.
Last week, the House Public Safety, Law Enforcement and Veteran Affairs committee approved a bill that combined three of six proposals to award honorary diplomas to veterans.
There was no opposition to the bill, which is expected to be debated in the House next week, said a spokeswoman for Majority Floor Leader Wayne Crump, D-Potosi.
"I predict the bill will be passed and signed by the governor," said committee chairman, Rep. Bill Boucher, D-Kansas City.
Eligible veterans include residents or former residents of Missouri who served during World War I, World War II or the Korean conflict and did not complete their education.
Louisiana, Nebraska, Massachusetts and New Jersey have established similar programs. None of the states have chosen to include veterans of the Vietnam conflict.
Ron Taylor, superintendent of services and cemeteries at the Missouri Veterans Commission, said Vietnam veterans were not included because relatively few actually dropped out of high school.
Veterans would have to fill out an application and submit proof of military service and honorable discharge to the commission, which would pass the information to the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
Although more than 500,000 Missourians served in the conflicts, no statistics were available regarding the number of veterans the proposed program would include. Taylor estimated that the number would be in the thousands.
"The reason why most of this stuff was brought up was because people saw it in the paper about Louisiana," said Leiby, who said the program should be national because "veterans gave up an awful lot to go."
In addition to benefiting veterans, Dewey Riehn, legislative chairman for the Columbia VFW post, said the program would also benefit current students.
"This is an education factor for our own young kids," Riehn said. Awarding diplomas to veterans who quit school to serve in the military "kind of reinforces to them a time when not everyone could go to high school."