89-Year-Old Lake Elsinore Veteran Graduates High School, At Last

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — William Daniels, 89, of Lake Elsinore understands service to country.

“I was very young when I remember being given an American flag. From that moment, I knew that I had to go into the service. When my grandmother told me about my father serving as a paratrooper, I knew I had to be a paratrooper too," he explained.

In 1952, at the age of 17, Daniels decided he would find a way to join the U.S. Army. He wanted to follow his dad, who served during World War II as part of the first Black parachute infantry battalion: the "Triple Nickel" 555th Parachute Infantry Company.

Daniels never met his father, but he was proud of him. So off to the Army he went. Daniels served during the Korean War, jumping out of planes as part of the 187th Regimental Combat Team in the 11th Airborne Division. He served as a medic and surgical technician, among multiple roles that included the motor pool and multiple military occupational specialties.

Daniels received the Purple Heart for injuries received while in combat.

Like so many young men of his era, Daniels never finished high school. Service was more pressing. After the war, he earned his GED but never got the official high school diploma.

As a civilian, Daniels worked for Kaiser Permanente, providing home health care to veterans. And as recently as 1998, he was still skydiving for fun.

The education thing, however, remained a hole.

Not anymore. Daniels now holds a high school diploma decades after forgoing his classes to serve his country.

Daniels and veteran Stephen Tomanelli, 72, of Poppet Flats each donned graduation caps and tassels as the latest graduates of the Operation Recognition Program. The ceremony was held Nov. 6 at the Riverside County Office of Education.

The event offered "a profound opportunity to recognize and honor two individuals who have shown sacrifice and unwavering patriotism, and who answered the call to duty when our nation needed them the most," Riverside County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Edwin Gomez said during the graduation ceremony. "This event is a way for us to express our gratitude for your service to our nation, for your selflessness, and for your courage."

Tomanelli served in the U.S. Navy from 1969 to 1973 in roles ranging from a ceremonial guardsman at Arlington National Cemetery to a fire control technician and ordnance mechanic on the USS Massey. He, too, earned his GED following his service but never had a high school diploma until now.

"It gives me immense pride and gratitude to receive this honor at the age of 72. This has been a personal mission and is a testimony to the enduring spirit of education," Tomanelli said. "This is deeply meaningful and represents the closing of a chapter from more than 50 years ago. This is a reminder that it is never too late to pursue one’s dreams and finish one’s schooling. Education is a lifelong journey, and I hope my story of perseverance and determination can show that everything is possible."

Since 2007, a total of 380 veterans have received their diplomas through Operation Recognition. The diplomas are awarded as a joint effort of the Riverside County Board of Education, the Riverside County Office of Education, and the Riverside County Department of Veterans' Services.

To be eligible for a diploma, individuals must reside in Riverside County and have served in the U.S. Armed Forces in World War II, the Korean War, or the Vietnam War with an honorable discharge. Riverside County residents who were interned in a Japanese American relocation camp during World War II are also eligible.

Learn more about the Operation Recognition Program here.