102-Year-Old WWII Vet Receives High School Diploma After Waiting 84 Years

A life well lived should also be one well celebrated, and for one Ohio man who turned 102, a birthday celebration Tuesday came with a long-awaited surprise.

World War II veteran Darryl Gress marked one other major milestone as he celebrated his 102nd birthday with friends and family. 

He received his high school diploma – an accomplishment that was 80+ years in the making. 

Gress left school early to work for his dad on their family farm and then enlisted in the Navy during World War II.

“He was done serving in January 1946,” Gress’ friend Bruce Kent told WTVG. “He was on a fleet tug involved in several major invasions in the Pacific.”

After leaving the military, Gress said he had a great career working for a railroad, but said he felt like something was missing. 

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Kent reached out to Port Clinton City Schools in Toledo, Ohio to request a diploma for the veteran. 

On Tuesday, Superintendent Patrick Adkins hand-delivered it to Gress at his birthday party. 

“Something was missing from his life for a long time and to be able

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