It has been more than a half a century in coming, but now Richard Dzio can officially say he is a high school graduate.

Like so many young men and women of the 1940s, Dzio set aside his education and left the comforts of home to defend the freedoms the United States by joining the armed forces during World War II. When these service men and women returned home, many of them, for various reasons, were unable to complete their education. Instead, they began families and careers while becoming role models and leaders in their communities.

In 2002, Georgia passed a law allowing veterans of World War II, the Korean War and Vietnam War who had left school before graduating to receive their high school diplomas. Dzio was not aware of this law until it came up in a conversation he had with Fayette County School Superintendent John DeCotis.

“I had seen Mr. Dzio at several school functions and at one of them we got to talking and I learned that he had served in World War II. I asked him if he had left high school before graduating because my father also served in the war and had quit high school. He said he had and I asked him if he knew about this law that would allow him to get his diploma,” says DeCotis.

Dzio says he was excited to learn about the law and quickly put the wheels in motion to get his long awaited high school diploma. He officially became a graduate of Fayette County High on September 18, 2006 as he received his diploma from Principal Charles Warr during a special presentation at the regular board of education meeting.

“My life is now complete,” Dzio said after receiving his diploma. “I can’t wait to tell my schoolteacher sister. Now everyone in my family has a high school diploma.”

In addition to the diploma, Dzio was also presented with a resolution recognizing his sacrifices for his country and Warr gave him an official Fayette County High baseball cap to commemorate the occasion.