--- title: 93-Year-Old World War II Veteran Finally Gets High School Diploma description: 93 year old Alabama World War II veteran gets high school diploma from Highland Home high school canonical: https://time.com/3895126/world-war-ii-veteran-high-school-diploma/ author: Olivia B. Waxman article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-05-23T17:08:05.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:48:28.200Z og:title: 93-Year-Old World War II Veteran Finally Gets High School Diploma og:description: Just in time for his birthday og:url: https://time.com/3895126/world-war-ii-veteran-high-school-diploma/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: TIME og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: 93-Year-Old World War II Veteran Finally Gets High School Diploma twitter:description: Just in time for his birthday twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- # 93-Year-Old World War II Veteran Finally Gets High School Diploma > Sponsored content. 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Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=aafff079-b3d2-40b9-b445-569b941fed3c&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1) ## Video: A History Of The Minimum Wage [Watch (HLS stream): A History Of The Minimum Wage](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/KFNoRaXc.m3u8) (3:56)  _Published 2014-02-28. See who raised the minimum wage and when throughout history._  by [Olivia B. Waxman](https://time.com/author/olivia-b-waxman/)  ## Olivia B. Waxman Staff Writer May 23, 2015 5:08 PM UTC  by [Olivia B. Waxman](https://time.com/author/olivia-b-waxman/)  ## Olivia B. Waxman Staff Writer May 23, 2015 5:08 PM UTC A 93-year-old World War II veteran finally received a diploma this week from the high school he attended in Alabama before he had to drop out because he was drafted into the Army. J.D. Sexton’s wife arranged for him to receive the diploma during Highland Home School’s graduation ceremony as a present for his birthday this month. In Alabama,[the State Superintendent of Education](http://www.va.state.al.us/pdf/guides/alabamalaws.pdf) is allowed to award high school diplomas to those who served in the U.S. armed forces during the World War II, Korea and Vietnam. [WSFA 12 News reports](http://www.wsfa.com/story/29109153/93-year-old-army-veteran-receives-high-school-diploma) that while Sexton did receive a GED in the 1970s, he has always wanted to earn a degree from Highland Home School. He told the news station that the feeling of being among class of 2015 grads is “a wonderful thing.” ## Transcript >> In 1938, the very first federal minimum wage was set at $ 0. 25 cents an hour when Franklin Roosevelt signed the Fair Labor Standards Act. The wage is not tied to the rate of inflation, so it only goes up through congressional action. Twenty- two times since 1938, Congress and the President have worked together to raise it. Here's a look at when the wages have gone up over time. Keep an eye on the number in blue, which shows you how much that amount would be worth in today's dollars. -[ Music Playing ] [ Music Playing ] [ Music Playing ] [ Music Playing ] [ Music Playing ] [ Music Playing ] >> At its peak, the minimum wage in 1968 was worth $ 10. 75 in today's dollars, but the purchasing power that goes with it has not kept up. So, if you earn minimum wage in the 1960s, it was enough to fill up your basket with a week's groceries. 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