Those who fight in war almost always have their lives cut short in some way. During the Vietnam War, when young men were forced to leave their families and put their lives on hold to fight for their country, this was especially true.
Many veterans couldn’t achieve some of their goals because of the war, but one person’s story shows that it’s never too late to go after dreams you’ve had your whole life.
Floyd Covey was a young man when he was sent to fight in the Vietnam War. He is now 78 years old. He had to join the army when he was so young that he didn’t even get to finish high school before going overseas.
Covey was in the Army during the war, and because of his brave actions, he was given the Purple Heart. But when he got back to civilian life, he never finished high school, which he says has always made his mother sad.
According to the website for the medical center, Covey recently went to the Martinsburg VA Medical Center in West Virginia. He told a staff member about his regret, and the person told him to go back to school and get his diploma. The recent visit by Covey was written down.
That’s precisely what he did, and the West Virginia Department of Veterans’ Assistance helped him do it. Even though he is about 60 years older than the average age of graduation, he should still get his degree because it is better to get it late than never.
He finally met the requirements to get a high school diploma, and the Upshur County Board of Education invited him to the May high school graduation. Covey wasn’t able to go to the event because he was sick.
But instead of letting his big day go by without any celebrations, the VA center decided to throw him his own graduation ceremony.
Covey’s brother and other veterans and staff from the VAMC were there at the ceremony.
At the ceremony, Dr. Sara Stankus, the Superintendent of Upshur County Schools, and Dr. Deb Harrison, the Assistant Superintendent of Schools, gave Covey the diploma he had worked so hard for.
“During a time in his life while others were graduating he was unable to,” said Stankus, according to the Martinsburg VA. “It is our honor to award his well-deserved diploma.”
Tyray Goerke, who works in the Nutrition and Food Service department, made a cake as a surprise for Covey.
For Covey, everything came back around to the woman who had inspired him in the first place: “This would mean everything to my Mom,” he told the crowd.
It just goes to show that you can follow your dreams at any age and that even small things can make a big difference.
“This day really proves that no act is too small to help make a difference in our Veterans’ lives,” said Medical Center Director Timothy J. Cooke. “I am glad we were all able to come together to make this day special for Mr. Covey.”
We appreciate your service and we hope you get loads of success in what you do. Very proud! This just shows that age is just a number and not a way of being. Boomers never give up!
