After 66 years, Korean War vet gets his diploma from Huntington Beach High

Richard Allen Seaberry never imagined that 66 years after leaving Huntington Beach High School, he’d one day be in front of a crowd at his former school, being honored as a hero.

The 83-year-old, known as “Al,” attended Huntington Beach High from 1948 to 1950, but never graduated. In fact, he dropped out.

He later joined the Navy “because my [older] brother was in the Navy and I liked the sea,” he said.

But soon, a series of events began that, more than six decades later, would land him at Huntington Beach High’s Sheue Field on Friday night to receive the diploma he never got and to be celebrated for his service.

In June 1950, about three months after Seaberry joined the Navy, the Korean War began when North Korea invaded South Korea. The United States, leading a United Nations force, went to the aid of South Korea.

Seaberry served two tours in Korea. After the war, he spent three more years in the Navy, during which he earned his GED. He left the Navy as a petty officer second class.

He went to barber school after returning home and went on to receive an associate degree from Golden West College in Huntington Beach and a bachelor’s in recreation and leisure studies from Cal State Long Beach.

He opened a barbershop in Westminster, where he worked until he retired. He now lives in San Clemente.

Seaberry and his wife of 64 years have had four children, 10 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

Twenty members of the family were at Seaberry’s special graduation ceremony at halftime of Huntington Beach High’s varsity football game against Tesoro on Friday night — dubbed Hero Night.

Seaberry, in a black cap and gown, walked across a platform on the Sheue Field track.

As he made his way to the stage at the packed stadium, he drew up his right hand and saluted the cheering crowd.

Typically, grandparents attend their grandchildren’s graduation. But for Kelsey Coleman, the shoe was on the other foot as she attended her grandfather’s belated commencement.

“It’s ironic,” Coleman said. “But he’s been to every one of our big events.”

In May, the Huntington Beach Union High School District revised its policy so diplomas can be offered retroactively to military veterans who attended school in the district but could not receive a diploma because of their service in World War II, the Korean War or the Vietnam War.

Seaberry called the district about a month ago asking about the diplomas, said district public information coordinator Alyssa Griffiths.

“He’s always encouraged us to go after what we want,” Coleman said. “He really wanted this and he went after it.”

Huntington Beach High School Principal Daniel Morris said that, every year for the past four years, the school has recognized “local heroes” at a home football game. Some are members of the city’s police, fire or marine safety departments.

This year, Seaberry would be one of those heroes, and Morris would hand him his long-awaited diploma.

“I never dreamed it would be like this,” Seaberry said. “I thought they’d just mail me the diploma. But this is an outstanding thing they’ve done. I’m blown away.”