World War II veterans Clement Donald Dowler, left, and Eugene William McPherson, right, wore robes and caps Tuesday during the Wood County Board of Education meeting when they were presented diplomas from Parkersburg High School.
PARKERSBURG, W.Va. — Two more World War II veterans have become graduates of Parkersburg High School.
The Wood County Board of Education and PHS officials honored Eugene William McPherson and Clement Donald Dowler Tuesday and presented them with PHS diplomas during the board meeting. Both men are in their early 90s and wore PHS graduation robes and caps during the presentation.
“I want to thank everybody for having us,” said McPherson. “It’s quite an honor.”
“You will never know how much this diploma means to me,” Dowler said.
Like thousands of young men in their generation, both were unable to finish high school due to their military service during World War II and had to enter the workforce when they returned stateside at the end of the war.
“I came out of the service in 1945 and I needed to write a resume for work, and when I wrote it I put down that I attended PHS,” Dowler said. “For 50 years I wrote resumes like that.
“Now I want to tell you what I’m going to do. I’m going home and I’m going to sit right down and I’m going to write a new resume. I’m going to put that I graduated from PHS.”
The diplomas are made available through a Department of Veterans Assistance program to allow World War II, Vietnam War and Korean War veterans to receive high school diplomas.
Principal Pam Goots said Tuesday’s presentation marked the third and fourth diplomas granted through the program.
“I wish that every senior I have valued their diploma as much as I know these men do,” she said.