A 98-YEAR-OLD WESTERN IOWA NATIVE WHO SAYS ONE OF HIS GREATEST REGRETS WAS NOT GETTING A HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA WAS AWARDED THAT DOCUMENT TODAY (WEDNESDAY) IN A SPECIAL CEREMONY.
DONALD HUISENGA DIDN’T GRADUATE FROM THE FORMER AUBURN HIGH SCHOOL IN 1943 BECAUSE HE WAS DRAFTED TO SERVE IN WORLD WAR TWO.
KEVIN LITTERER, PRINCIPAL OF EAST SAC COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL, HEARD ABOUT HUISENGA AND TOOK QUICK ACTION.
DIPLOMA1 OC……… “MAY OF 1943” :18
HUISENGA SERVED IN THE EUROPEAN THEATRE AND PARACHUTED INTO NORMANDY IN 1944.
HE ALSO SPENT SIX MONTHS IN A GERMAN PRISONER OF WAR CAMP.
DISTRICT ADMINISTRATORS DECIDED HE WAS MORE THAN DESERVING OF THE DIPLOMA, SO LITTERER FLEW TO TEXAS TO PRESENT HIM THE DIPLOMA AT THE VETERANS AFFAIRS HOSPITAL IN SAN ANGELO.
DIPLOMA4 OC…..CLASS OF 1943. :24
LITTERER SAYS EVERYBODY IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT WAS EXCITED FOR THE CEREMONY AND HE BROUGHT SOME SPECIAL GIFTS ALONG.
DIPLOMA3 OC………”DONALD AS WELL” :18
HIS CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN ATTENDED THE UNIQUE GRADUATION CEREMONY THAT WAS LIVESTREAMED ON THE EAST SAC COUNTY SCHOOL FACEBOOK PAGE.