Last wish of 98-year-old WWII Marine veteran wholesomely fulfilled by school superintendent

Many patriots have sacrificed crucial life experiences for their country. We have heard many stories of sacrifice from war veterans, especially those who fought in World War II. Recently, a WWII veteran, Richard Remp, from Poolesville, Maryland, expressed dissatisfaction with not receiving a high school diploma when he was young as he had to contribute his efforts to the country. To fulfill his dying wish, the Sharon City School District Superintendent, Justi Glaros, honored the 98-year-old Marine with the diploma he always longed for on May 18, as reported by ABC 7.

Originally from Sharon, Pennsylvania, Remp missed his high school diploma by joining the army at 17 in the 1940s. He first served in WWII and later posted in Korea and Vietnam, where he was an esteemed gunner sergeant- thus being fondly referred to as "Gunny." Though he could have avoided the risky job, the dauntless Marine chose to do it, as per James Cappuccilli, a Marine veteran and second vice commander of American Legion Post 247 in Poolesville, who told the Marine Corps Times about Remp. During his reconnaissance mission in Vietnam, Remp heroically extracted nine Marines from the holds of enemy forces by firing over 1000 rounds.

But according to Cappuccilli, the 98-year-old was quite "a peach" at heart. His humorous personality often overshadowed his tough demeanor. In a Facebook post that Daniel-Jeffers Post 247 of the American Legion re-shared, Remp served 23 years before retiring from the United States Marine Corps and has been a resident of Montgomery County for over four decades. Despite offering years of daring efforts for his country, the patriarch was concerned about not receiving a high school diploma. So Cappuccilli reached out to the Sharon Alumni Hall of Fame coordinators, who in turn, carried this news to Glaros, as per the Sharon Herald. 

After some research, Glaros learned that an honorary diploma could be offered to veterans who had served at least in one of the three wars- WWII, the Korean War or the Vietnam War. Remp was a Marine in these three wars and Glaros was determined to fulfill his wish. So, she tracked down the high school in the neighborhood from which Remp dropped out when he was 17, but to her dismay, they needed time to get the diploma ready. Also, by then, Remp was diagnosed with stage 4 prostate cancer, which put him in a serious stature. So, not willing to waste any more time, Glaros decided to hand-deliver Remp's diploma.

Glaros arranged Remp's honorary diploma from her school board and sprung to the veteran's abode, driving for over 4.5 hours from Pennsylvania to Maryland. "It was just an incredible honor to be able to give that to him. When I was speaking with him, it was like we had been best friends forever," Glaros told the Marine Corps Times. When Glaros handed over the honorary diploma, Remp, who was bedridden and counting his days, was absolutely thrilled. Proudly holding his graduation cap and the diploma, the veteran told the school superintendent, "Thank you very much. You people just don't know what it means to me. I'll cherish this for the rest of my life." Two days after his dying wish was fulfilled, Remp passed away.