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One serving in the Second World War, and the other in the Korean War, two vets attended their high school graduation ceremonies on May 25th
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Both men had to leave their high schools early to enter the military and serve their country
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Joe Perricone, 95, collected his diploma, while Bill William Arnold Craddock, 85, collected his General Education Development diploma
Over the weekend, two of the oldest high school graduates in history collected their diplomas. Joe Perricone, 95 and Bill William Arnold Craddock, 85, both had to leave high school before graduation to enter the military and serve their country.
Perricone served in the US Army in World War II in 1943, now more than 70 years later he returned to Hillsborough High School in Tampa, Florida to receive the diploma he never picked up. Perricone was the first to walk across the stage in the graduation ceremony and received a long standing ovation. His grandson, Judge Thomas Palermo, worked with the school to allow his grandfather to join of the class of 2019.
Joe Perricone
Craddock however also finally picked up his diploma on the weekend. At 16, he man joined the Air Force and later served in the Korean War. He would’ve graduated from the Science Hill High School in 1953, instead, he did so in 2019. Craddock picked up his General Education Development diploma, an alternative to a high school diploma, only 66 years behind his 1953 class mates.
Craddock shared some words of wisdom with the 2019 class, “Study hard, be good, and learn all you can. Get the best education you can get.”
