Diploma program expanded for vets

A new bill grants a high school diploma to Vietnam War veterans who did not complete their high school curriculum because of their military service.  The diploma is for any Vietnam Veteran who was honorably discharged from service and who attended high school in the State of Alabama immediately prior to entering the military from Nov. 15, 1961 and March 28, 1973.
The measure is an amendment to an existing law that allows for the award of a high school diploma to WWII and Korean War veterans who did not complete high school because of their service.  State Rep. Jack Page of Gadsden, a Vietnam Veteran, sponsored the bill together with the support of the Alabama Department of Education and the Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs.
Veterans who are eligible may apply for the high school diploma through the principal’s office of their former high school, or by contacting the office of the county superintendent of education.  Family members may also apply for a diploma posthumously for an eligible veteran who is deceased.