Man, 83, Joins Newsome High Class Of 2017

VALRICO, FL — Marty Sullivan was young, adventurous and didn’t like school very much. Bound, set and determined to find something – anything – better to do, he and two buddies walked into a Marine recruiter’s office in Boston hoping to join up and see some action in Korea.

When the recruiter informed them Marty’s 5-foot-4 stature just wouldn’t fly, the trio turned around and walked out. They headed directly to a nearby Naval recruitment office. When that recruiter happily informed them that Marty’s height posed no challenge for the seafaring military branch, they signed on the dotted line. At 17, Marty also had to have his grandparents, his guardians, sign on the dotted line, too.

Get the Patch newsletter and alerts in your inbox.

Now 83, Marty said he never really looked back after that. But, leaving high school in his sophomore year did leave a gap on his resume. The gap that has finally been filled thanks to a Florida state law and a Hillsborough County Consumer and Veterans Services officer. Under a state program, veterans like Marty who served in the military before finishing high school are eligible to receive full diplomas if they earn honorable discharges.

With the help of the county employee, a few forms were filled out and sent to the Florida Department of Education for approval. Before too long, the man who left high school back in 1951 had a diploma. He didn’t, however, have the pomp and circumstance that should go along with it.

That’s where Newsome High School and its Class of 2017 come in. The county and the school district put their heads together and decided Marty should become a "wolf" for the day. That day is Friday, May 19, when Marty will join the school’s graduating seniors in a cap and gown to officially receive his diploma at the Florida State Fairgrounds Expo Hall.

The prospect of “walking” with a bunch of teenagers doesn’t seem to bother the 83-year-old much.

“I think it’s going to be stranger for them than me,” Marty said.

As for why Marty left high school all those years ago, he explained: “I had no interest in school and neither did my two friends. One of them said, ‘Let’s go join the service.’” So, they did.

The three boys from Boston would go on to boot camp together, but each ended up deployed on different destroyers. After eight years in the service, Marty returned to the Boston area. Once back home, an ex-girlfriend of his (who happened to be married to one of his two high school buddies) introduced him to Alice.

A blind date, led to many other dates, Marty said. Before too long, the two were married, had two sons and eventually made the decision to retire to the Valrico area in the 1990s. The two were married for 42 years before Alice passed away from cancer in the early 2002.

Marty now spends much of his time volunteering at the Hillsborough County Veterans Park and Rear Admiral LeRoy Collins Jr. Veterans Museum. It was through that work Marty met the county veterans services’ staff member who helped him obtain his high school diploma a few decades late.

As for completing that bit of unfinished business, Marty said it makes him happy, but he still insists he “never liked school.”

Frank Strom, director of Hillsborough County’s Consumer and Veterans Services agency, said Marty’s story demonstrates one of the many ways his organization can help former service members.

“When a service officer sits down with a veteran like Marty, (they can) identity benefits they can qualify for, programs that are available to them,” he said. From monetary and healthcare benefits available through the federal government to statutory diplomas like the one Marty will receive, the agency exists to serve those who have serviced and their families, Strom said.

Newsome High School officials were not available for comment, but Strom said he and those who have worked with Marty are “so thankful to Newsome and its leaders” for allowing him to walk.

To find out more about Hillsborough County’s Consumer and Veterans Services department, visit it online.

Photos courtesy of Marty Sullivan and Hillsborough County