When duty called, they answered; now La. Honors them in return

It’s been years since Victor Michel last sat in a high school classroom.

At 88, the Houma man actually left school in 1942 after Uncle Sam sent him a draft notice. World War II needed soldiers. For the next 37 months, he traded Terrebonne High School’s maroon and white colors for the U.S. Army’s drab green uniform and a role as a front-line medic.

Understandably, it was a proud day when the Woodlawn High School Color Guard accompanied Michel – clad in a garnet-colored graduation robe – down the aisle to finally receive his high school diploma.

The Louisiana Board and Elementary and Secondary Education and the state’s Department of Education bestowed the degrees to World War II veterans, all of whom enlisted in the service before graduating from high school.

The recent ceremony included veterans of the Korean and Vietnam wars as well as World War II vets.

“Upon returning home, many of these brave veterans were not able to finish high school for a variety of reasons,” said state BESE President Linda Johnson. “These veterans have made significant contributions to this country while gaining substantial knowledge and skills through work. They have earned our esteem and gratitude as well as our acknowledgement that without their sacrifices, our lives would not be the same today.”

In all, the state honored 144 war veterans – including 20 Tri-parish area men – from all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces.

Twenty-nine of the veterans, Michel included, received their diplomas at an official graduation in Baton Rouge in the Louisiana Purchase Room of the Claiborne Building.

Proudly looking on was Michel’s wife of 61 years, Irene, 80.

After the ceremony, Houma’s most recent graduate told his wife that receiving his high school diploma proved he was smart.

“I told him, ‘You’ve always been smart. Do you think you would have made it through life without being smart?'” Irene Michel said.

After Michel’s stint in the Army, he returned home to work for his uncle at a local grocery store for several years. With enough hands-on experience under his belt, Victor and Irene Michel made the decision to venture out on their own. The two opened Vic’s Supermarket in Bayou Cane.

For seven years, the couple ran the community grocery store. When the store closed its doors for good, Michel relied on his Army medic training for his next career move: working for one of his sons at the Medicine Shoppe. (Victor and Irene Michel have 10

children.)

The absence of a high school diploma hasn’t deterred the World War II generation from

“being all that they can be,” most agree.

Many of the veterans have gone on to great accomplishments: they’ve raised families,

owned businesses and even returned to trade school and college.

“The veterans of these three wars unselfishly enlisted in the service of their country at the

expense of their own education,” said state Superintendent of Education Paul G. Pastorek. “These honorary diplomas won’t change their lives, but I hope they will be regarded as an educational symbol of our appreciation for the sacrifices these veterans

made on behalf of our country.”

For post-World War II veterans, the lack of a diploma did make earning a living more challenging.

Take Cut Off resident Stephen Griffin, 58, for instance. A veteran of the Vietnam War, he didn’t receive his welding certification until after he returned from the war. Today, he is a successful welder.

In the 1960s, ammunition specialist Griffin traveled on convoys transporting artillery across South Vietnam. The job title didn’t help much outside of the Army, however.

“When I came back from the war, I needed a job,” Griffin said. “My cousin was working offshore and he needed a welder. I needed a job, so I took some courses while I was working offshore to become a certified welder.”

Training for a career wasn’t the only challenge Griffin faced. For several years after returning home, he suffered from nightmares and post-traumatic stress syndrome. Life improved after Griffin sought help from the state Department of Veterans Affairs’ program for veterans.

Now, Griffin says he’s back to the man he used to be before the war. He’s able to communicate with his wife Marlene and his three daughters about the things he saw during his tour of duty in Vietnam.

The following is a list of all of the Tri-parish veterans who received honorary high school

diplomas.

Lindon Berad (Navy) – St. Mary Parish; Gary Blanchard (Navy) – Terrebonne Parish; Leo Breaux (Navy) – Terrebonne Parish; Jerry Cunningham (Army) – Terrebonne Parish;

Edward Domangue Jr. (Navy-NR) – Terrebonne Parish; Johnny Fabregas Jr. (Navy) –

Terrebonne Parish; John Gisclair (Army) – Lafourche Parish; Kenneth Hebert (Navy) – St. Mary Parish; Delvin Hotard (Army) – Lafourche Parish; Douglas Landry (Army) –

Lafourche Parish; Joseph Landry (Army) – Lafourche Parish; Davidson LeBouef (Air

Force) – Terrebonne Parish; Wade Lirette (Army) – Terrebonne Parish; Roy Rogers (Army) – Terrebonne Parish; Samuel Rogers (Navy) – Terrebonne Parish; Morris Rousse (Navy) – Terrebonne Parish; Floyd Terrebonne (Marine) – Lafourche Parish; Peter Woodward (Navy) – Terrebonne Parish.