Earlier this month, American Legion Post 247 held a ceremony in Poolesville, Maryland, to honor one of its own, Gunnery Sgt. Richard Remp, who died.
“He was a Marine,” friend Julien Singh explained. “He was most proud of being a Marine.”
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Remp, also known as Gunny, dropped out of high school in his senior year to serve in World War II and remained in the Marine Corps throughout the Vietnam War. According to his friends Julien Singh and James Cappuccilli, he was highly decorated.
Despite his tremendous accomplishments, Remp still had one thing left to do: get his high school diploma.
“That was his sort of farewell wish,” Singh explained.
Fortunately, Pennsylvania law permits any honorably discharged soldier of World War II, Korea, or Vietnam to receive an honorary high school graduation. Unfortunately, it takes time, and Remp had only days to live.
Nonetheless, in desperation, his pals contacted school officials in his hometown of Sharon, Pennsylvania.
Justi Glaros, superintendent of the Sharon City School District, took the call.
“I have a lot of passion for the men and women that serve our country, and just everything inside of me said, ‘Yes, go, do it.'” Glaros spoke to CBS News.
She expedited the request and went above and beyond, traveling nearly five hours each way, to personally deliver his diploma to Remp’s home.
“It was overwhelming,” Glaros explained. “And I knew he’d been weak before, but not now.” He was all in.”
Remp died on May 19 at the age of 98, barely two days after his graduation.
“The last thing he really remembered was getting that high school diploma from Justi,” said Singh.
