Diploma Awarded 60 Years Later
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By the time he got out of service, Bishop was no longer 17 years old and too old, in fact, to go back to high school.
He was the only one of his eight brothers and sisters who never received a high school diploma.
That all changed Monday when the Whitko Community School Corp. Board of School Trustees, in cooperation with the Indiana Department of Veterans' Affairs and Indiana Department of Instruction, presented Bishop with his diploma.
"At one time or another, everyone in the school corporation went to bat for him," Dave Tranter, school board president, said of Bishop's attempt to receive his diploma.
"I want to thank you very, very much," said Bishop. He said a big share of the men on his ship were 17 years old like himself. His ship didn't lose any men to the Japanese, but did lose some to blunders. His ship was the first to arrive at Nagasaki, where they liberated prisoners of war.
They took a tour of the area that was hit by the atomic bomb, Bishop told the school board. He said he was glad that the inventor of the bomb did something to end the war in a hurry or otherwise there would have been many more U.S. casualties.
Bishop's wife, Miriam, was on hand at the meeting to see him receive his diploma. Bishop also will participate in commencement ceremonies in the spring.
In other business, the school board:
• Approved an agreement with the South Whitley Police Department and South Whitley Utilities Department for them to purchase fuel through the Whitley Community School Corp. The SWPD and SWUD will save approximately 30 to 50 cents per gallon of gas. Whitko will charge both agencies 5 cents per gallon more than what Whitko paid for the gas.
• Heard that four Whitko High School students placed fifth at the national dairy competition in Madison, Wis., a month ago and individually, Amanda Nicodemus placed sixth.
Bronwen Greenfield was one of 12 students in the state to have her artwork displayed in the Indiana Electric Cooperative calendar. A junior, Greenfield's artwork is for November.
• Heard the South Whitley Elementary School PTO is Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. at the school; the Pierceton PTO's next meeting is Nov. 3 at 6 p.m. at the school.
• Announced the Whitko School Board received a plaque from the Indiana School Board Association recognizing Whitko School Board as an outstanding school board.
• Approved the receipt of the following grants: Indiana Criminal Justice Institute, Safe Haven Grant, $7,435; Indiana Department of Education, professional development, $18,111; Kosciusko 21st Century Foundation, $2,000; HANDS Foundation, $400; and Indiana Department of Education, $13,867.
• Recognized the donation of video equipment to Whitko schools from DePuy.
• Announced the next board meeting will be Nov. 17 at 7:30 p.m. at Whitko High School.
Members of the Whitko School Board are Dave Tranter, Hal Trump, E. Marie Trump, Pete Mitchell and Michael Braddock. [[In-content Ad]]
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By the time he got out of service, Bishop was no longer 17 years old and too old, in fact, to go back to high school.
He was the only one of his eight brothers and sisters who never received a high school diploma.
That all changed Monday when the Whitko Community School Corp. Board of School Trustees, in cooperation with the Indiana Department of Veterans' Affairs and Indiana Department of Instruction, presented Bishop with his diploma.
"At one time or another, everyone in the school corporation went to bat for him," Dave Tranter, school board president, said of Bishop's attempt to receive his diploma.
"I want to thank you very, very much," said Bishop. He said a big share of the men on his ship were 17 years old like himself. His ship didn't lose any men to the Japanese, but did lose some to blunders. His ship was the first to arrive at Nagasaki, where they liberated prisoners of war.
They took a tour of the area that was hit by the atomic bomb, Bishop told the school board. He said he was glad that the inventor of the bomb did something to end the war in a hurry or otherwise there would have been many more U.S. casualties.
Bishop's wife, Miriam, was on hand at the meeting to see him receive his diploma. Bishop also will participate in commencement ceremonies in the spring.
In other business, the school board:
• Approved an agreement with the South Whitley Police Department and South Whitley Utilities Department for them to purchase fuel through the Whitley Community School Corp. The SWPD and SWUD will save approximately 30 to 50 cents per gallon of gas. Whitko will charge both agencies 5 cents per gallon more than what Whitko paid for the gas.
• Heard that four Whitko High School students placed fifth at the national dairy competition in Madison, Wis., a month ago and individually, Amanda Nicodemus placed sixth.
Bronwen Greenfield was one of 12 students in the state to have her artwork displayed in the Indiana Electric Cooperative calendar. A junior, Greenfield's artwork is for November.
• Heard the South Whitley Elementary School PTO is Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. at the school; the Pierceton PTO's next meeting is Nov. 3 at 6 p.m. at the school.
• Announced the Whitko School Board received a plaque from the Indiana School Board Association recognizing Whitko School Board as an outstanding school board.
• Approved the receipt of the following grants: Indiana Criminal Justice Institute, Safe Haven Grant, $7,435; Indiana Department of Education, professional development, $18,111; Kosciusko 21st Century Foundation, $2,000; HANDS Foundation, $400; and Indiana Department of Education, $13,867.
• Recognized the donation of video equipment to Whitko schools from DePuy.
• Announced the next board meeting will be Nov. 17 at 7:30 p.m. at Whitko High School.
Members of the Whitko School Board are Dave Tranter, Hal Trump, E. Marie Trump, Pete Mitchell and Michael Braddock. [[In-content Ad]]