By Jaylynn Sasano 

A long-delayed diploma could soon be within reach for the unknown number of Hawaii military veterans whose high school educations may have been interrupted by World War II or the Korean and Vietnam conflicts.

State lawmakers on Thursday advanced Senate Bill 2614, which would allow the state Department of Education to award diplomas to certain veterans who served in the three wars. The bill offers no estimate of how many left high school to fight.

“It is a small gesture with a lasting impact,” wrote Donovan Lazarus, president and chief executive officer of American Veterans Hawaii, in an email to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.

From available records and outreach, Lazarus said he is not aware of any current members who entered military service without first earning a high school diploma or equivalent.

“While we may not have a direct member to represent that specific experience today, we strongly support the intent of this bill,” Lazarus said.

The lack of data on the potential number of veterans who might benefit from SB 2614 has raised questions about whether such legislation is even necessary.

Allen Hoe, a Vietnam veteran who was drafted in 1966, said he doubts whether any eligible veterans still exist.

“That’s nonsense … ,” he said. “Who are you actually supporting under this measure?”

“I don’t think very many,” said Lawrence Enomoto, a veteran who served in the Korean and Vietnam wars.

Even without clear numbers, supporters say the bill addresses a gap in educational recognition affecting earlier generations.

“Many young men and women left school early to answer the call to serve our nation,” Lazarus said.

According to Lazarus, veterans who did not complete high school often faced long-term challenges in civilian life, including barriers to employment and further education.

“The lack of formal credentials sometimes placed them at a disadvantage despite their service,” he said.

For many, a much-belated high school diploma would carry more symbolic than practical value decades after their military service.

“Receiving a diploma now would be deeply meaningful … as a long-overdue acknowledgment of sacrifice,” Lazarus said.

Others in the military community agreed that the recognition itself would hold weight regardless of its timing.

“Any form of recognition … is essential and important,” said John Alamodin, a veteran and lieutenant colonel in the Hawaii Army National Guard.

Others remained skeptical, pointing to draft policies that historically often allowed students to complete school before serving.

“There is nobody who had to serve during the Vietnam War that interrupted his schooling,” Hoe said.

Still, the measure has gained support as part of a broader effort to honor veterans and expand benefits in Hawaii.

“A measure like this does foster the conversation about … other kinds of benefits that we can explore for veterans living in Hawaii,” Alamodin said.

The U.S. Defense-State Liaison Office also backed the measure, describing it as a way to formally recognize an educational milestone lost to military service. According to its website, the office provides state policymakers “with expert insight on priorities affecting military families and their quality of life.”

“Many residents of Hawai‘i answered our nation’s call to service before they had the opportunity to earn their high school diploma,” wrote Kelli May Douglas, the Pacific Southwest regional liaison for the Defense-State Liaison Office.

Her testimony on SB 2614 emphasized restoring a pathway for the state to acknowledge their sacrifices.

State education leaders echoed that support, pointing to a previous program that issued similar diplomas.

“The (Department of Education) would appreciate authorization to resume awarding high school diplomas … in recognition of their sacrifices during wartime,” DOE Superintendent Keith Hayashi said in his written testimony.

The earlier effort, known as the Kupono diploma program, ended in 2020, leaving a gap SB 2614 aims to fill.

“This measure would reinstate past Hawaii Department of Education policy to honor the sacrifices,” Douglas said.

Additional support came from the Hawaii Military Affairs Council, which described the bill as a meaningful acknowledgment of certain veterans’ military service.

“It validates their sacrifice, restores a measure of dignity … and publicly affirms that the State values both their service and their interrupted educational aspirations … ,” the council said in its written testimony on SB 2614. “The gesture is modest … but it carries real symbolic weight.”

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