High school diplomas to be offered to war veterans

Huntington Beach Union High School District is offering diplomas to veterans who could not receive theirs due to their service during World War II, the Korean War or the Vietnam War.

The veterans must have attended the school district.

The school board revised its policies in May to allow for such honorably discharged veterans and people who were interned during the wars to apply for retroactive diplomas, which act the same as regular diplomas, said Assistant Superintendent Owen Crosby.

“This was not something that I just thought was important. It was something our entire school district wanted,” said Crosby, whose grandfather served during World War II.

“We’re excited about the opportunity to be able to recognize our veterans and our federally interned individuals who definitely deserve this opportunity.”

Crosby said that because the retroactive diplomas are part of the school board’s new policy, they will be available indefinitely.

Former Huntington Beach students can also apply if they did not receive a diploma due to not passing the California High School Exit Exam, which was a requirement for graduation from all California high schools from 2006 until last October when it was abolished.

Several of these students have applied for the retroactive diplomas, Crosby said.

He said the district did not have to get permission from the state to permit these diplomas.

Crosby said the school district does not have any record of how many of these such veterans there might be but the district is working with local organizations, such as American Legion, to identify qualified veterans who went to school in the district.

So far, no veterans have claimed the retroactive diplomas, he said, but the district is hopeful.

“We’re reaching out and trying to cast a wide net so that we can locate individuals who meet these requirements,” he said.

Those who are interested in applying for retroactive diplomas should call (714) 903-7000, Ext. 4226.

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Brittany Woolsey, brittany.woolsey@latimes.com

Twitter: @BrittanyWoolsey