Poolesville, Maryland — At a ceremony held in Poolesville, Maryland, earlier this month, American Legion Post 247 paid special tribute to one of its units, the late Gunnery Sgt. Richard Lemp.
“He was a Marine,” said friend Julien Singh. “He was most proud of being a Marine.”
Lemp, who everyone called Gunny, dropped out of his third year of high school to participate in World War II, and served in the Marine Corps until the Vietnam War. His friends Julien Singh and James Cappuccli say he was highly decorated.
Despite his incredible accomplishments, Remp still had one thing left to do. It was about getting a high school diploma.
“That was his farewell,” Singh said.
Fortunately, Pennsylvania law allows any veteran who was honorably discharged from World War II, the Korean War, or the Vietnam War to receive an honorary high school diploma. Unfortunately, it takes time and Remp only has a few days left to live.
Nonetheless, his friends became desperate and contacted school officials in his hometown of Sharon, Pennsylvania.
Sharon City School District Superintendent Justi Glaros answered the call.
“I have a lot of passion for the men and women who serve their country, and everything inside me said, ‘Yeah, go do it,’” Glaros told CBS News.
She processed the request quickly and then traveled the extra mile, or close to an extra 550 miles, driving nearly five hours each way to personally deliver his diploma to Remp’s home.
“It was overwhelming,” Glaros said. “And I knew he was weak, but in that moment he wasn’t. He was all in.”
Remp died at age 98 on May 19, two days after receiving his diploma.
“The last thing he remembers is receiving his high school diploma from Justy,” Singh said.
Steve Hartman
