Chesterton Tribune                                                                                   Adv.

WWII vet Hilmer Boo to get HS diploma in special ceremony

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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.

 

Posted 11/17/2005

 

 

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