A Pasco County World War II veteran is being honored Friday night, as his family will receive his posthumous high school diploma.
Alfred Smith was drafted out of high school to fight in World War II.
- Pasco High School to award diploma Friday night
- Ruth Smith will accept for her husband of 68 years, Alfred Smith
- Alfred Smith received bronze star for his service
"He served in the Army, he was in Europe, Germany and France," said Alfred’s widow, Ruth Smith. He was a private in the Army and received a bronze star for his service.
Smith served three years and when he came back, he met Ruth.
"He was just a wonderful man, a wonderful father," Smith said, wiping her tears.
The two were married for 68 years.
"We had four children, nine grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren," she said. "We were very happy."
Alfred Smith died in November. His grandson, 29-year-old Rob Pullen, began looking through his military paperwork and noticed his grandfather didn’t have a high school diploma.
"He'll never be able to get the opportunity to walk across the stage with his family and his friends, like, that moment, his country kind of took that away from him," said Pullen.
Alfred Smith and his grandson, Rob Pullen. It was Pullen who noticed his late grandfather didn't have a diploma.
So Pullen began doing research and found a way to get his grandfather a diploma though the state of Florida.
"Just to be able to give his children the opportunity of saying their dad is a high school graduate, to me it's a small thing the state of Florida can do to honor someone's service," said Pullen.
For Ruth, it's a moment she never thought she'd see.
"I'm so proud, I just feel like he deserved it," she said.
Ruth Smith will be accepting the diploma at Pasco High School's graduation Friday night.