The Sacramento County Office of Education (SCOE) is again awarding high school diplomas to qualifying U.S. veterans and Japanese-American citizens through its popular "Operation Recognition" program.
The Operation Recognition program was adopted in October 2001 by the Sacramento County Board of Education to honor the contributions and sacrifices of individuals who missed completing high school to serve in the U.S. military (specifically World War II or the Korean War) or relocate to a World War II internment camp for Japanese-American citizens. In 2005, the County Board of Education expanded the program to include veterans of the Vietnam War.
The Sacramento County Board of Education has provided diplomas to 148 qualifying veterans and Japanese-American citizens through Operation Recognition since 2001. Six of the diplomas have been awarded posthumously.
Residents of Sacramento County are encouraged to request diplomas on behalf of themselves or qualifying family members, including persons who are now deceased. May 2, 2011, is the deadline to submit applications. The Sacramento County Board of Education is scheduled to hold its next Operation Recognition diploma awards ceremony on Tuesday, May 17, 2011.
Operation Recognition applications may be requested by mail from:
Operation Recognition
P.O. Box 269003
Sacramento, CA 95826-9003
To request that an application be mailed, call (916) 228-2416. Applications are also available from the Sacramento County Veterans Service Office, located in midtown Sacramento at 2007-19th Street.
Qualifications for an Operation Recognition diploma include:
- Applicant or recipient is a Sacramento County resident;
- Veterans must show proof of Honorable Discharge from U.S. military service occurring during WW II, the Korean War, or the Vietnam War (DD Form 214 preferred);
- Japanese-American citizens must show proof of internment in a WW II relocation camp; and
- Veterans and Japanese-American citizens must give the name of the high school applicant was attending at the time of induction into military service or internment.
An application may be submitted by a family member of a qualifying individual, living or deceased. Persons who meet the qualifications, but earned a GED, are eligible. Diploma recipients and/or survivors should be current or former Sacramento County residents. Those living outside Sacramento County will be referred to their local county office of education.