He was a sophomore who only planned on walking with his friend to the recruiter’s office, only to end up quitting high school to serve his country. Now more than 40 years later, a Pittsburgh Marine is finally getting his high school diploma.
Retired Marine master sergeant James Frazier, Jr. was honored by Pittsburgh Public Schools with a high school diploma at board meeting, according to KDKA.
“I think it’s great, makes me feel good to get this diploma, something I’ve always wanted to do,” Frazier said.
A determined recruiter put Frazier to work after he walked his friend to the office.
“Since you’re sitting here doing nothing, you might as well take the test just for fun to see how you do,” Frazier said. “So I took the test, [my friend] took the test, and low and behold, he failed, I passed … Next thing I know, I was on a bus to Paris Island.”
Frazier was only 17 years old at the time, so his mother had to sign the papers to let him sign up for service.
James retired from the Marine Corps in 2005, served in Desert Storm, and received several promotions along the way in Japan and Cambodia.
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