At 89, Local WWII Veteran is Presented with High School Diploma

T.L. Shelton was awarded the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star for his Army service in World War II. But it wasn’t until Nov. 12 of this year that the 89-year-old veteran finally claimed a high school diploma. Shelton, whose grandson and granddaughter are teachers at MVUSD, was presented with an honorary diploma by the Riverside County Office of Education in ceremonies at Moreno Valley. Sixteen of his fellow veterans from World War II, Korea and Vietnam who enlisted before finishing school also received their sheepskins. Shelton left school at age 14 to help on the family farm in Oklahoma, and in 1944, at age 19, he was drafted into the Army and fought in the Pacific. Shelton first heard that he would be receiving his high school diploma when his granddaughter, Shari Shelton-Geeson, surprised him with the news. Unbeknownst to him, she submitted the application on his behalf to the Riverside County Office of Education and presented him with the official notification that he had qualified for the honorary degree. “I thought about returning to get my degree a few times in the 1960s, but never did anything about it,” said Shelton, a Moreno Valley resident. “It is very special that people would do this for me.” Today, he often speaks with students about the importance of education and getting that diploma. He just never expected to get one, himself.