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By ALEXANDRA NEWMAN
and VICKI URBANIK
Many men who fought in World War II did so before graduating from high
school. Many of them did not survive, but today, many states are recognizing
the men who fought so that we could be free, by awarding diplomas to the men
who defended our country who qualify through life experience.
Hilmer Boo, who would have graduated with the Chesterton High School Class
of 1941, will be receiving his diploma in a special service Saturday, Nov.
19 at a class reunion to be held in Michigan City.
“I think its nice,” said Hilmer, when asked what he thought about getting
the diploma.
“I really never had any trouble getting jobs or doing what I wanted to do,
so not having a diploma never really hurt me.”
Hilmer quit school when his older brother enlisted in the service and Hilmer
helped run the farm located in Burns Harbor, off 149 between U.S. Hwys 20
and 12. He pitched hay and manure and milked cows. He felt it his
responsibility to help on the family farm since his younger brothers needed
to be in school. He also helped on other farms.
“At that time they needed people raising food as much as they needed to make
steel,” said his son, Michael, who initiated the effort for his dad to get
the diploma.
“When he was old enough, Dad also enlisted,” Michael said, who added that he
only found out in 2001 that his father didn’t graduate from high school.
Although some states had already begun giving diplomas to those who left
school to serve their country, Indiana didn’t pass a statute to give the
diplomas until 2002.
“We thought the bill, when it was passed, took care of all situations, But
it didn’t,” State Representative Ralph Ayres said.
Because Hilmer didn’t drop out in order to go into the military, but to work
on his family farm since his brother was in the service, he wasn’t covered
by the state law. “Technically, he was ineligible,” Ayres said.
“The men learned more about geography and life skills by serving in the War
than those students who were at home in the classrooms,” commented Michael.
Michael researched the matter and contacted Ayers to help. Ayres helped
Michael with the application for a waiver, by contacting both the State
Board of Education and the State Veterans Administration and urging the
state agencies to follow the spirit of the statute.
“This wouldn’t be happening if it hadn’t been for Ralph Ayres,” Michael
said.
Michael applied for the waiver on Aug. 17 and the Veterans Administration
approved it on Aug. 30.
Duneland Superintendent Dirk Baer also approved the diploma issuance.
“Nothing could be done until the Veterans Administration approved it,” Ayres
said.
Hilmer served in the infantry from 1944-1946 in France, Germany and
Normandy. He learned to run a crane, and worked in Portage as a crane
operator when he returned from across the pond. In June 1949 in Steger,
Ill., he married Maralyn, his wife of 56 years. A cousin had introduced the
couple. He stayed in the reserves and, from 1950-1951 he returned to the
service and was shipped to Korea.
He and Maralyn moved to Steger, where for 36 years, he was the service
officer for the V.F.W. He also retired after 31 years of service as a
volunteer fireman for the local fire department.
Hilmer has been invited and has attended other reunions of the Class of
1941, but this year’s will be different.
“It’ll be an especially happy reunion for him,” Ayres said.
Both Ayres and Duneland School Superintendent Dirk Baer will make the
presentation Saturday at the Class of 1941 reunion at Lindo’s.
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Posted 11/17/2005
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