CPS Honors World War II Veterans
with Diplomas

Cincinnati Public Schools will honor with diplomas World War II veterans who were called to military service before graduating from high school.

To be eligible, veterans must have served in any branch of the United States Armed Services between September 16, 1940, and December 31, 1946. They must have been honorably discharged and have never received a diploma. The district is implementing the program through legislation adopted last summer by the Ohio General Assembly.

CPS presented the first group of diplomas in a ceremony at the December 17, 2001, meeting of the CPS Board of Education (see photos). Other diploma ceremonies will be scheduled.

To receive a diploma from CPS, the veteran must be a resident of Hamilton County but need not have attended a Cincinnati Public school. Veterans are not required to take any tests to qualify to receive the diploma. The school district may present a diploma to a veteran posthumously.

To begin the process of receiving the diploma, the veteran or a relative must go to the Hamilton County Veterans Service Commission, at Ninth and Sycamore streets downtown, to complete an application for a veteran’s certification. Veterans must verify their service record to the commission with an original copy of their DD214 discharge document or other proof of service.

For processing, bring the application to the Cincinnati Public Schools' Public Affairs Department, 2651 Burnet Avenue, or mail it to the Public Affairs Department at P.O. Box 5381, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45201.

CPS will issue either a diploma from the Cincinnati high school the veteran attended or a general diploma from the Cincinnati Public School District for veterans who were not CPS students. For more information, call the veterans service commission office, call 513-946-3300 or CPS' Public Affairs Department, 513-363-0020.

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